Brooks-Medicine Hat candidates square off in final forum

Three of the five candidates stood out on HALO, which earlier this year received a five-year funding commitment from the province. United Conservative Party candidate Danielle Smith, Alberta Party’s Barry Morishita and Alberta NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk all agreed that the service is vital and deserves a long-term funding commitment from the provincial government so it’s less reliant on the potential ups and downs of community fundraising.

Smith said, “love it,” about HALO, and that she is “committed to making sure that this corner of the province maintains its local service.”

Morishita said HALO needs to be leveraged more into the provincial health-care system so that it can have more certainty going forward.

“I think there has to be a long-term funding commitment based on some formula that makes sense so that they can do their fundraising knowing that there’s a backstop there,” he said.

Dirk congratulated the UCP on the funding deal announced this past spring and that fundraising should supplement government funding. “It should be something that is absolutely be supported, hands down,” Dirk said.

The Independence Party’s Bob Blayone passed on the question, saying he doesn’t know enough about it, and Jeevan Mangat of the Wildrose Independence Party said he also isn’t too familiar with HALO but if it’s an ambulance service it’s vital.

On health, Morishita took the opportunity to set himself apart from the candidates from the two main parties, and called for a new approach to the ongoing problem of doctor and nurse recruitment and wait times.

“And yet we hear our two-party system talking about how they’re going to save the system again. But yet time after time they have let us down. They tell us what they’re going to do but they don’t do anything,” he said.

One of Smith’s main talking points of her campaign has been her plan to make significant changes at Alberta Health Services, saying the experts there “let us down” over the course of the pandemic. She said there’s a serious management problem at AHS and excellent people on the frontlines.

Dirk agreed the health-care system is presently in chaos, but blamed that on the policies of the UCP, such as ripping up the contract with doctors and asking nurses to take a pay cut following two years of COVID.

“We need to rebuild health care in Alberta by working with the professionals,” she said.

Blayone railed against the silencing of doctors and nurses and the COVID vaccination mandate for health-care workers.

Mangat said private clinics are the answer to a system that is going to collapse.

Candidates went back and forth on a question focused on combining the needs of the environment and the economy.

Morishita said the corner of the province is in an enviable position thanks to its resources and Mother Nature. He said business should be at the forefront of moving away from fossil fuels at the proper pace.

“Setting goals and having the opportunity to change to mitigate CO2 emissions, but to support them in doing that by giving them a long runway,” he said. He later added the region has an incredible potential in renewables energy but there has too much uncertainty back and forth for industry the stomach.

Dirk also pushed for diversifying the energy sector, continuing to get oil to market and also further looking into hydrogen and geothermal technology while continuing to harness the area’s wind and solar potential.

Smith stressed there is a right and wrong way to reduce emissions.

“The wrong way is what we’re seeing with the Liberal and NDP coalition in Ottawa,” she said, returning to a familiar line. She said those parties are targeting an industry that is the exclusive of the province, and an Alberta-made plan for reducing emissions will be put forth at the upcoming COP 27 climate conference.

Dirk said there is no coalition, saying that’s a conspiracy theory akin to other Smith musings about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine against COVID and discrimination against unvaccinated people.

Mangat also stressed more private investment in the energy sector, while Blayone called for further discussion around the science of climate change.

On education, Dirk took Smith’s party to task for funding cuts and the controversial curriculum being instituted. She said funding must be restored in the K-12 and post-secondary systems.

Smith countered that she accepts there is a need to slow down the implementation of the new curriculum. She also said a normal learning environment needs to be restored and maintained, saying the UCP won’t allow mask mandates or disruptions to learning.

Morishita said the province needs to restore its relationship with teacher and involve them when it comes to the curriculum which should be built in an open and transparent process.

Blayone agreed with Smith about the learning disruptions kids went through and how affected them.

In her closing remarks, Smith said her position in government gives her the advantage of being able to make decisions and effect change for the riding quicker than her opponents. Dirk once again pointed out Brooks-Medicine Hat is her home, the last of many references to Smith’s residence in High River.

Lifelong Brooks resident Barry Morishita said his commitment is to listen to and act for constituents. After years of only two parties in government he had one question.

“I want to ask you if you feel better off now than you did 10 years ago. And if you don’t, then let’s send a message. There’s a better way and the better way is with me and the Alberta Party,” he said.

A full recording of the forum will be posted on chatnewstoday.ca on Friday.

by Chris Brown

Brooks-Medicine Hat candidates square off in final forum

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