1. How do you plan on getting more money for Canadian families?

One of the really strong messages that the Liberals have put forward in their platform is that they are going to bat for middle-class families, and those working hard to join them. One of the things that you’ll find in the platform is that the liberals are putting forward the idea of no taxes on the first $15,000 you earn for people who are earning under $147,000 a year. The other thing that I think would help save families money is the Liberal’s plan to include pharmacare in their platform. This is something that a lot of families have to consider in their budgeting, is medication, whether it be for themselves or for their dependents. So this is a huge win for families that the Liberals are platforming for this election.

The other thing is that we won’t be giving tax breaks to millionaires. Everyone will be paying their fair share.

2. Canadians are saying they care a lot about the environment. What issues do you see as having the most impact on the environment, and how do you plan to address it?

I was so inspired to watch all of the climate strike marches across Canada, and it is abundantly clear that climate change and the coming climate crisis are top of mind for young voters. It concerns me as a mother and as someone who is still fairly young and has quite a bit of life yet to live. I really take it seriously, and I believe that the Liberals take it seriously as well. I believe that the platform that the liberals are putting forward is strong.

One of the things that I’m doing here locally is a really small thing to do, but I decided to go sign-free this campaign. You’re probably seeing a lot of blue signs around, but you won’t see any red ones in my riding. That’s because I just can't justify the waste, with how concerned I am about climate change. I know it’s a small and insignificant thing, but everyone should be doing their part.

So, Canada is committed to net-zero by 2050 in the Liberal platform. We’re planting two billion trees and we’re taking climate change seriously.

3. What issues do you see in our education system and how do you plan to address those?

I’m really passionate about public education, just personally. I came from a very limited background in terms of the resources growing up. I grew up quite poor in a single-parent home, with my parent being chronically ill most of the time, so I tell people that Canada raised me. I got most of the skills that have really taken me where I am today through the public education system. So, I’m a strong advocate for public education systems.

Obviously, it’s a provincial issue, but if I was elected, it’d be something that I am passionate about and I’d want to work with the provincial government to ensure that Alberta’s children have the best possible education that they can get.

I personally feel that class sizes are an issue. I think valuing our educators is something that is really important. We need people who are strong and resilient and feel supported in their jobs and have access to the resources that they need to support our kids. They are navigating a changing world with children having such open access to the internet and information. Teachers today are dealing with a whole different world than they were when I was coming up through school. Class size needs to be a really big priority. Also, supporting children with different needs in the school system - children with autism, or children with physical disabilities, children with mental health concerns - these are all things that need specific support and accessible support. Teachers can’t do it all. They need support and our kids need support. Those are the things that I am really passionate about, and I would really love to work with the provincial government on.

4. How do you plan to manage the healthcare needs of our aging population?

It certainly is a concern, as we see the demographic of baby boomers starting to age and starting to need care. With such a large group of people moving into that position, it certainly could present some issues moving forward.

One of the things that concerns me, and I think about it as a woman, is that a lot of seniors who are, let’s say, in a vulnerable category, or [who] are vulnerable to poverty, are women after their partners die. The liberals have a platform that specifically targets...lifting seniors out of poverty, two-thirds of whom are women.

The other thing is that we want to work with the provinces and territories to get more support for survivors by increasing CPP by 25 percent. I think that also with the pharmacare in the platform, that’s also going to be supporting seniors who oftentimes have to choose between affording necessary medications and other necessary things. I think the Liberals have a strong platform in supporting seniors, and that’s also something I’d be happy to work with the province on.

5. How do you plan to address any shortfalls in our healthcare system, such as a lack of services and facilities in central and rural Alberta?

I think that one of the things that is a regional concern for us here in central Alberta is the amount of mental health care supports and the number of supports we have for folks who are struggling with addictions. It’s a contentious issue, especially in Red Deer, specifically around safe injection, and around harm reduction and the ways that we approach supporting people who are struggling through addictions.

One of the biggest ways that I think that we can start to move forward on these kinds of issues is by having conversations about them and by offering facts around the ways we best address these issues. One of the issues I’m strongly in favour of is harm reduction and safe injection sites. I think that we need more support for that here in Central Alberta. I think we need to have a more holistic approach to mental health care. We really do need more community supports for those in central Alberta who are living with mental health concerns.

Those are really big issues that I’m passionate about, the community support that we need for those living with mental health concerns and for those folks who are struggling with addictions. Those are things that would be a high priority for me.

These issues do impact rural communities. One of the things that we know about central Alberta is that a lot of our primary breadwinners are working away. They’re working up in camps and that really impacts family supports. It really impacts mental health. When they do end up coming back home, whether it’s in a rural community or an urban community, there’s really specific needs around that and I don’t know if we’re really equipped right now to deal with that issue.

I think we kind of look at mental health and supports of [the] community as being the same across the country, but they vary by region and by what kinds of communities we have within those regions.

Certainly, in our rural communities, when folks work away, and families are left without one parent for a long time, and one person is isolated for a long time, it creates really specific mental health issues and I’d like to see that addressed.

6. What services do you think could be created or enhanced to address our major social issues, such as poverty, homelessness, and unemployment.

This is a huge topic of passion for me. I’ve spent the last ten years of my career working sort of in this area. One of the things that I’m really passionate about is poverty reduction, homelessness, and housing people.

I had the privilege of working at the Bissell Centre this past summer, teaching yoga there. It was one of my most favorite experiences to date as a teacher. One of the things that I learned there was that we really need community inclusion. We need people to feel like they are included in the community and that they are supported. I think that central Alberta really needs to have a conversation around poverty reduction and around housing the homeless, like a housing first initiative. I think that’s a really smart way to approach things.

I think that ‘Housing First’ is a great way to start. We have to start at the bottom and work our way up, so ‘housing first’ is where I would start.

As far as unemployment goes, I think a lot of people are concerned about jobs. I think a lot of people are really feeling isolated and nervous about the future. I think in our region specifically, we really need to have a conversation about no one getting left behind, when and if we transition into renewable energy. If we aren’t able to move forward on certain projects, we need to have a conversation about how we can ensure that people have good jobs and can support their families.

7. How do you plan on supporting Alberta's core industries, such as oil and gas, tourism, forestry, and agriculture?

I think that it’s really a hard conversation to have. There’s a lot of contention around this issue in people’s minds regarding the liberal party. I think that’s there's been some things that have been done that were meant to be supportive of some of our core industries. One of the things for me that I hope is coming across is that the Liberals are not wanting to leave anyone behind. Specifically, with people who are struggling right now with the economic downturn, with finding jobs, I know that the Liberals are keen on looking at how we can introduce renewable energy and transition p[eople into jobs in renewable energy.

I think that Alberta is really well suited to capturing those jobs, especially with wind and solar. I think that a lot of skilled trades are really transferrable to renewable industries, and perhaps agriculture. I think it’d be great if we can have a conversation about that transition to renewables and ensuring that no one gets left behind and I think the Liberals have a plan to do that.

8. What major infrastructure projects do you see as a high priority for our area?

I think, like most Red Deerians, I understand and see the pressures that our hospital is struggling with. I’m disappointed that we don’t have better access for folks in this region, and I’d really love to see more care available here. I think that the hospital is a big one for me. I know it’s more of a provincial thing, but it’s something that I’d definitely want to speak to and work with the provincial government, to try and move forward as best we can.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I want to invite everyone to read the liberal platform. I know that it’s a lot to read, but it’s definitely worth doing. I think that I can speak to everything that’s in the platform and that’s fine, but what really matters is who I am as a candidate, and how I would be if I were given the privilege of representing Red-Deer Lacombe in Ottawa.

I’m a single mom, I’ve raised my daughter in Red Deer. I’ve owned businesses in Red Deer and Lacombe. I’ve taught thousands of people in central Alberta mindfulness and how to manage really difficult issues. I have friends and loved ones and people that I call family who live in this region. I have strong ties to people in both agriculture and oil and gas, and as ironic as it sounds, I’d say I’m a fiscal conservative.

I raised my daughter on a very tight budget most of the time. I’ve managed my businesses’ budgets and I had to be really smart about what I did. I’ve managed to budget for businesses and for large events. I’m pretty frugal, and I’m good with money I don’t like to spend money when I don’t have to. I think that I would be a really strong advocate for central Alberta. I think I'd be a strong voice for our families and for our marginalized communities.

I’m not against anyone in this region, I want to represent everybody. I’m new to politics, so my only real loyalties are to the people I love and care about in this community - those are some of the reasons I think I'd be a great representative.