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Calgary-Mountain View MLA Kathleen Ganley is currently campaigning to become leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party with a stop in Medicine Hat for a town hall on Thursday. (CHAT News)

‘The current government is incompetent’: NDP leadership candidate in Medicine Hat for town hall on Thursday

Apr 3, 2024 | 2:47 PM

Alberta New Democrat leadership candidate Kathleen Ganley, Calgary-Mountain View MLA, is coming to Medicine Hat on Thursday for a leadership town hall.

The city’s NDP constituency association is hosting what they hope is the first of a series of town halls with each of the NDP leadership candidates.

Ganley said she is hoping to meet with as many people as possible while in Medicine Hat.

“My hope is just to get out to introduce myself to people to talk to them about what I think is important, which is an economy that works for people, and to hear what’s important to them,” Ganley said.

“At the end of the day, I think what we really need to do is talk to people where they are and make them an offer because I do think that NDP values are the values of the people of this province.”

The town hall with Ganley starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Honor Curry Room at the Medicine Hat Public Library.

NDP membership is not required to attend, but is required by April 22 to vote in the NDP leadership race.

Ganley said the most common thing she hears is people are struggling to cover living expenses.

“We need to talk about how we build an economy that supports everyone, because even as, you know, profits are going up in a lot of areas, the ability of most families to afford, you know, their rent, their mortgage, their food, the basics, and maybe a couple of extras is increasingly in jeopardy,” Ganley said.

“That’s one of the things that I want to run on, because there are things that government can do to control that. We can, for instance, stop price gouging in the electricity system,” she added.

“We can give lower income people a break on their taxes, we can look at moving the minimum wage, we can move support for small businesses. All of these are policies that are within the government’s control.”

Ganley expressed her disappointment with the current United Conservative government led by Premier Danielle Smith.

“The current government is incompetent,” she said.

“They’re managing badly on the healthcare file, we have the lowest-funded education in the country, which is seriously affecting our future,” Ganley added.

“They’re doing absolutely nothing about the housing crisis, or the cost of living crisis, or many of the things that are facing average families.”

Ganley said she’s ready to take on those files.

“I have around me an incredible team that is prepared to take on those challenges,” she said.

Also in the NDP leadership race are Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse, Sarah Hoffman, Gil McGowan, and Naheed Nenshi.