Brian Storseth's decision to seek the nomination in the Lakeland riding during the next federal election will undoubtedly leave Westlock residents pondering what the political landscape will look like when the 2015 federal election comes around.
Brian Storseth's decision to seek the nomination in the Lakeland riding during the next federal election will undoubtedly leave Westlock residents pondering what the political landscape will look like when the 2015 federal election comes around.
Certainly his decision is understandable. Although he has roots in the Barrhead area, he now calls St. Paul home. With the community now slated to be included in Lakeland, it's the same decision any of us would have made.
It does not help that the new riding, which extends from Westlock in the very southeast all the way up to the B.C. and Northwest Territory borders, is as Storseth described it when it was still a proposed riding, 'ridiculous."
Presumably, other incumbent MPs will take a similar tack. While we know of no other official announcement from incumbent MPs about their intentions, we know current Yellowhead MP Rob Merrifield lives in the Edson and area and current Peace River MP Chris Warkentin lives in Grand Prairie.
Odds are, they will choose to remain on in their home communities as well.
So that leaves residents of Westlock and High Level, and everywhere in between, with quite a quandary. Somehow the riding associations of Canada's political parties, of which only the Conservative Party has any realistic shot of being elected, will have to decide on candidates who will attempt to represent the diverse needs of this mixed riding.
The power base of this new riding, as the name implies, will likely be centered around Peace River. That is roughly the geographic centre of the riding, at any rate.
Unfortunately for Westlock, issues relating to the resource extraction and oilsands development in the Peace River area will likely take centre stage. Our humble agricultural communities run a real risk of getting lost in the shuffle.
We've said it before and we'll say it again that we agree with Storseth's characterization of the new riding. No single MP can effectively represent the needs of such a diverse population.
If we want to see an MP who will really stand up for Westlock and Barrhead instead of always looking north, that candidate will have to come from this area.
The election may be years away, but the time to step up to the plate is right now.
