Local UCP and NDP candidates share riding issues along the campaign trail

This is his first time running in a provincial election. Wright ran for city council in the 2021 municipal election, finishing 19th with 2,611 total votes.

The small business owner and father of three says his children inspired him to run provincially.

“When I look at my kids, they’re the next generation and the generation that follows,” says Wright. “I want to make sure we are handing off Alberta in a better place than the day we got it today just like I’m sure the generations before us wanted to always push Alberta forward to really have that legacy they can hand off in a better spot.”

Wright says the feedback he received from his bid for city councillor gave him the self-assurance to run provincially.

“When I continued to connect with folks there were a lot of residents here in the community that were just saying ‘you know what you’ve got really great ideas, we’d like to see you really push forward’ and that was kind of the confidence boost,” Wright explains.

Wright is looking to push the local economy forward by creating more manufacturing jobs and providing more incentives and tax breaks for skilled workers and healthcare providers.

He wants to see more products made here in Medicine Hat and says he believes in renewing the “Alberta Advantage.”

“We are able to get our goods to market with projects like the highway three twinning or the recently announced widening of highway 41 south to Elkwater. These are great ways we can get what we produce here in Medicine Hat and Cypress County and really southeast Alberta and get them to market.”

Wright’s opponent Hogg is the past president of the Public School Boards Association of Alberta.

Drew Barnes represented the riding since 2012.

At her campaign office on Kingsway Avenue, NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk speaks with members of her team, preparing for another day on the campaign trail.

Dirk is running against UCP Leader Danielle Smith and Alberta Party candidate Barry Morishita in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding.

Former UCP MLA Michaela Frey was elected in 2019 but resigned her seat in 2022 to allow Smith to run for a seat in the legislature.

Dirk, a retired teacher, has been actively campaigning in both urban centers saying the main concern she hears from voters in her riding is health care.

“I’m hearing incredible stories about waits in the emergency and the inability to access family physicians. It is very sad, unfortunately, because of the terrible relationship the UCP has had with our primary care providers so many have left the province,” says Dirk.

She says housing and affordability also top her list of concerns. The NDP has announced it plans to provide available affordable housing to more than 40,000 additional Albertans.

If elected Dirk says she will fight to provide more housing options for voters in her riding.

“There is simply not enough housing. I’ve gone through apartments and I’ve seen families of five, six, seven living in a small two-bedroom apartment with horrendous prices on rent,” explains Dirk.

And even though Dirk is running against the UCP leader, she’s confident voters will see her commitment to her riding.

“In both Brooks and Medicine Hat I’ve had people come to me and they are very disturbed by the fact that she’s not here,” says Dirk.

“They have tried to go to her offices, they have tried to get ahold of her. She is simply not here. The truth is she picked Brooks-Medicine Hat because she thought it was an easy win here. She didn’t anticipate the amount of support that is behind the NDP in Alberta and she did not anticipate that and so I think I’m giving her a run for her money.”

Voters in both ridings will have a chance to hear more about where the candidates stand on health care during a forum at the public library this May 10 at 7 p.m.

by Brendan Miller

Local UCP and NDP candidates share riding issues along the campaign trail

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