With a federal election set for this fall, a new political party is trying to cover all its bases and get a candidate in seats across the country, including here in Sherwood Park.

The People’s Party, founded by former Conservative Maxime Bernier, has put a call out for a politically minded individual to seek the seat in the riding of Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan.

“We just put a call out in December before Christmas and had a large number of people who turned out to our open meeting,” Chris Robertson, president of the Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan PPC Association. “We now have a board set up and Wednesday night we had our third monthly board meeting.”

The party said it wants a candidate who believes in lower taxes, getting pipelines to world markets, end supply management systems, reform equalization payments, strengthen immigration policy and a foreign policy that puts Canada first.

“You can have both: getting rid of Trudeau and electing a true Conservative Party to replace Justin Trudeau this year,” explained leader Maxime Bernier in a press release. “Vote for your values and principles. Vote in what you believe in and vote strategically. Choose the principled alternative – the People’s Party.”

The People’s Party also wants to repeal the carbon tax, introduce a ‘fair gun’ policy, eliminate corporate welfare, and introduce policies that would lower costs for airfare and cell phone plans in the country.

“We feel Maxime Bernier has a lot of support in the area,” explained Robertson. “Bernier had the highest level of support in this riding than any other riding across Canada during the leadership race.”

The call for a candidate boasts about the pay for the political hopeful if they are elected. Pointing to an annual pay of $172,700 for an elected Member of Parliament and adding that those appointed to cabinet will see that number jump to $255,300.

“By mid-April, we’re looking to be in a position to announce who the candidates are and start campaigning for the nomination,” he added. “We are on track to have candidates in all 338 ridings in time for the election.”

The People’s Party riding president suggests anyone interested in running for the new party to contact by phone at 780-288-3153 or email at chrisrobertson@shaw.ca.

“Bernier said he would like to have all the candidates in place by the end of May,” explained Robertson. “We have 338 ridings in Canada and our party has set up organizations in all 338 of those ridings across Canada.”

The next election is scheduled for Oct. 21, 2019, but it could happen sooner if Prime Minister Trudeau drops the writ, which some pundits suggest could happen after the Alberta provincial election is wrapped up.

The party had its first inaugural meeting in the area back in December 2018. The party itself was founded Sept. 14, 2018 after Bernier lost the Conservative Party leadership race to Andrew Scheer.

tdosser@postmedia.com

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