By Charles Lefebvre

Peter Mueller announces campaign for NDP nomination

Jan 11, 2019 | 4:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Peter Mueller made his intentions to run for public office official Friday morning.

Mueller made an official campaign announcement at Medicine Hat College, where he hopes to be named the NDP Candidate for the Cypress-Medicine Hat riding.

If he is selected to be the candidate, Mueller said he would run a pledge of listening to his constituents and trying to help pass legislation to benefit residents of Cypress-Medicine Hat.

“I’ve learned to be friendly and approachable,” he said. “When I’m walking down the mall, I’d like people to walk up to make and ask me questions, make suggestions. When sitting and having a coffee at Station or A&W, or wherever, I invite people to come up to me and ask questions and make suggestions.”

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During his speech, Mueller offered his praise for Premier Rachel Notley and her time in office, saying she was left with “one giant mess by previous conservative government mismanagement of the economy.”

“I think no one, including Jim Prentice, could have done any better than she’s done right now,” he said following his announcement. “In fact, she protected the jobs of workers, she protected the interests of common Albertans. She kept the ship going in the right direction. It was not her fault that the oil glut occurred. It’s not her fault that the price of oil per barrel plummeted, none of that is her fault. I cannot accept when people from the UCP or supporters of the UCP, say that she’s ruining Alberta.”

If Mueller receives the nomination, he will be up against the United Conservative Party’s Drew Barnes, the only other officially declared candidate for the riding.

Mueller says that was something he took into consideration when he decided to run.

“I would love to have a one-on-one debate with the UCP member from the constituency,” he said. “I read his Twitter offerings. They are empty, they are devoid of meaning. There are dog whistles that I would like to have him explain. What, for example, do his three ‘f’ words mean? Free enterprise, what does it mean to him? You can’t just say words like that and assume they mean the same thing for everybody.

“What does freedom mean for him? He has to define what he’s talking about. And what about the word family? Why is he always invoking the family? What does that mean? Why is he doing that? Let’s get some real substance into our conversation.”

The local constituency associations will be holding nomination meetings on February 9, where final candidates for the spring election will be set. Interested candidates are still able to apply to seek the nomination.