The race to replace Ken Kowalski in Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock has begun, with five candidates vying to take over for the veteran MLA.
Alberta’s 28th general election was called March 26, with voters heading to the polls April 23. And with Kowalski not seeking re-election, there are five new names on the ballot.
Westlock County Coun. Maureen Kubinec secured the Progressive Conservative nomination for the constituency when she was chosen from among five candidates Jan. 28.
She said she believes people are looking for something different, but argues they’re getting that from Premier Alison Redford.
“I think Albertans are looking for a change and we are seeing that change happen with our new premier. She has implemented a lot of things that Albertans have asked for,” she said.
As a former school trustee and county councillor, Kubinec said she believes she has the right experience to represent the region.
“The fact that I have good experience in government and have been a resident of this constituency for 20 years, I think I can take the issues forward,” she said.
The Wildrose Alliance has had a candidate selected for the riding for more than a year — Link Byfield said he was ready to take on Kowalski at the time, and is more confident in his chances with Kowalski retiring.
“I think it helps level the playing field a bit. I am up against a party that has been in place since 1968 in this riding,” he said.
The former magazine publisher said he believes his party is the one that can bring true change to the province and to the riding.
“It is going to be whether people believe this government has in any meaningful way changed or reformed at all,” he said. “The answer most people are reaching is no, it hasn’t changed.”
The Alberta NDP has selected former Edmonton Public Schools employee and union activist Trudy Grebenstein. She said Albertans feel their government is no longer listening to them.
“We are counting on the current government to be in touch with ordinary Albertans and I am not convinced that the Stelmach government was and I am not convinced that the Redford government is,” she said.
She said ears are open in the riding and people are willing to try something new.
“What I am hearing is that all of a sudden people are interested in change, because they believe change is possible,” she said. “They didn’t believe change was possible before.”
The Liberal candidate is Leslie Penny, a health-care administrator from Barrhead. She has told the Barrhead Leader that her main concerns are education, infrastructure and childcare.
“If we’re going to be a progressive province, we really need to make sure we’re giving our children – that’s all of our children – the best possible chance to do the best they can,” she said.
She has run for the Liberals in this riding before, and said she still strongly believes in the Liberal program for the province this time around.
Alberta’s Evergreen Party, which is affiliated with the international Green Party movement, has nominated Morinville’s Lisa Grant. The stay-at-home mom and school bus driver said her party is the only one that speaks to her.
“When, for a couple of elections there was nobody to vote for, I was disappointed and I decided someone had to step up to the plate,” she said.
Grant has run both federally and provincially for the Green Party before.
She said her party is about a long-term plan for the province, not short-term political wins.
“We are not your traditional political party. People are getting really frustrated with modern politics and we are an alternative to that,” she said. “We focus on long-term goals rather than just the next election. We look for co-operation among the parties.”
As for Kowalski, he said he’s comfortable to sit on the sidelines after having spent 10 campaigns front and centre.
“My personality is that when I make a decision to do something, I put it behind me,” he said. “I was thoroughly prepared for the day when the writ came down and I was thoroughly prepared for what I’d have to do during the campaign.”
He will still fulfill his obligations as Speaker of the Legislature until the new MLAs return to Edmonton after the election, but said he is not interested in talking about either the campaign or the issues facing this riding.
“The only business I’m going to mind as of Monday this week is my own,” he said. “I’m not a candidate and I think in fairness to all the very good candidates I should just be like every other citizen in Alberta. I’ll listen attentively and make my decision and go to vote on the appropriate day.”
With files from Ryan Tumilty
