The June 30 byelection is coming up fast, and for candidates in the Fort McMurray-Athabasca riding, that means a final push to get their platforms known and convince voters to put the small X beside their name.
Elections Canada urges citizens of Athabasca to check their voter information cards for their polling station or visit www.elections.ca for further information. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. on June 30. Advance polls will also be open on June 20, 21 and 23 from noon to 8 p.m.
The Advocate spoke with the candidates to get their final thoughts leading up to the vote.
Yurdiga said his main focus with the Conservative Party of Canada has been keeping Alberta’s economy strong and maintaining the “strong, stable leadership of our Conservative government.”
Yurdiga has also touted his party’s support for the oilsands and making them a priority on an international stage.
“We’ll continue to emphasize the important choice voters have in this byelection. It’s a plan for a stronger economy, less taxes, a balanced budget and keeping Fort McMurray-Athabasca as the economic engine of Canada,” Yurdiga said in an email statement.
Running for the Liberals, Harrietha has spent much of his campaign going door-to-door throughout the riding.
“My whole campaign as been focused on meeting the residents of Fort McMurray and Athabasca on their front doorsteps,” Harrietha said. Harrietha explained he has also spent time canvassing in High Prairie, Wabasca, Lac La Biche and Fort Chipewyan.
He said he has noticed a couple common issues across the riding.
“Number one is infrastructure. There are billions and billions of dollars coming out of this region, and there is very little money being reinvested by the federal government … The second big issue is health care. We have a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses and pharmacists, and I believe it’s a symptom of the federal government having gotten out of the health-care game,” Harrietha said.
Harrietha said the final weeks look much the same as the rest of the campaign and said he will be making a final push for people’s support.
“I think voters will go through the process of taking a serious look at all the candidates and their platforms, and they will make a decision based on who engaged them and made an effort to work with them to move our communities forward.”
McDaniel with the NDP said her campaign has been going well and that she has spent time meeting people all over the region who have told her they are unhappy with their current situation.
“They want something different. They’re not happy with the way they’re being responded to, and they feel they have no voice,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the main issue, though, is that people feel industry has taken precedence over them. “The main issue is that people feel like they’ve been left behind for the sake of industry,” she said.
The cost of living, the Temporary Foreign Worker program, health care and education are all issues McDaniel has heard about from people in the region. This is an odd thing when Alberta is supposedly the economic driver of the county, she said.
“Why don’t we have the necessities we need if we are the economic driver?” she said. “I pray and hope people give me a chance … give a chance for a different voice to be there for them.”
Green Party candidate Brian Deheer has been trying to let constituents know that the Greens don’t necessarily want to shut down the oil patch; rather, they want the oilsands to be a “strategic partner in building Canada’s green economy.”
“While oilsands industry jobs have been welcome, many of them go to residents from outside the riding, and cost of living in the riding has skyrocketed,” said Deheer in a written statement. “This boom may be good for Alberta and the rest of Canada, but it’s causing so many stresses on the communities here, we’re being stretched almost to the breaking point.”
Deheer acknowledged the riding has traditionally been a Conservative stronghold, but said he anticipates the votes will be shared a bit more evenly by byelection candidates than in previous elections.
“I’m encouraged by the positive response,” he said of his campaign so far, adding that issues surrounding watershed health have been brought to his attention.
Moen, the leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, said he has been “blown away” by his campaign so far, explaining that he has gained attention from people around the world.
“I’ve had people from across the continent and my riding contacting me to offer support and encouragement. There is a market for liberty in Canada, and people are tired of the status quo,” he said in an email statement.
Moen said the main issue he has noticed is people feeling that they have no voice in Ottawa.
“People are first and foremost tired of not having a voice in Parliament and being ignored,” he said. Other issues many constituents have voiced to him include lack of infrastructure, the Temporary Foreign Worker program, aboriginal rights and “increasing government incursion in our lives.”
Moen said clarifying that “libertarian” is different from “liberal” is part of his work.
“We are a part of principle that believes government’s purpose is to protect the rights of individuals,” he said.
Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old who have lived in the riding since May 28 of this year will be able to vote in the byelection with the proper identification.
Voter information card: These cards, which outline the polling station and voting times nearest you, will make your trip to the polls much easier. If you have not received one, contact 1-866-354-7162 by 6 p.m. on June 24.
Proper identification: Along with your voter information card, voters much prove their identity and address with approved pieces of identification (such as a driver’s license).
Identification that shows your photo, name and address, in order to register you on the voters list.
One piece of identification depicting all three will work, but two will also work; for example, a health card with your name and photo accompanied by a utility bill with your address is acceptable.
If you do not have ID, you can swear an oath and have someone who knows you (a roommate, neighbour etc.) vouch for you; that person must be from the same polling division as you and can only vouch for one person.
Voters not on the voters list can also register during advance poll days.
For more information on acceptable pieces of ID etc., visit www.elections.ca.
