On Tuesday, nine of the candidates were at the Badlands Community Facility for the All Candidates Forum put on by the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce.
For some that may have been the first time to hear from Liberal candidate, Darcy Spady. Spady shares why he decided to throw his hat in the ring for the by-election. “I have grown up in the area. There was never much of a centrist option of a legitimate, local candidate. 1978, I think, was the last time that we have had a local person, that was known to the community, that was running for the Liberals. I saw what Mark Carney was doing as Prime Minister and I thought ‘this man is moving in a very business-like, methodical direction, and I like this. I would certainly throw my hat in with that ring, with him, in the government so that means I’m running as a Liberal in East Central Alberta.”
Spady understands that this riding is predominately conservative but hasn’t had much adversity approaching constituents to share his views. “Some people ‘see red’ but most people there is not adversity to start. They say comments like ‘we haven’t seen a Liberal around here for a long time’, or ‘wow, this is great’. I think that people are generally quite eager to have a moderate, centrist position, that they don’t have to be harder to the right. People are pretty happy to have an option. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the doors. It has actually been a really good experience. I expected a lot of negative rhetoric.”
Spady, who grew up near Three Hills, has worked in numerous industries within the riding. “I really represent two or three of the key elements of this riding. I got involved as a petroleum engineer so I’ve worked in the field from Wainwright to Brooks, up in Stettler and in Drum here. I know the local lay of the land. My family is all here. One of my kids was born in the riding. The key is agriculture, energy, and small business, that’s my DNA, and that fits pretty nicely in the area.”
When Spady talks with constituents, many are questioning why this by-election was needed. “The most common thing I hear is ‘why are we having this election’. People are not pleased that they are back at the polls. People are not pleased that they elected somebody and now that person is not there. The second thing I hear is people saying Mark Carney is doing a pretty good job, ‘we like the way he is handling Donald Trump. We like the way he is handling the east-west trade situation.’ People do have a pretty strong opinion that they have been used as a ‘stepping stone’.”
Spady finishes by saying that his main job will simply to represent the riding. He knows that having input from this riding in the Liberal party from this riding, is what he intends to do.
The advance polls open on Friday and will be available August 8th to August 11th, from 9 AM to 9 PM each day. Election day is on Monday, August 18th. For more information about the by-election for Battle River-Crowfoot and to find out where you cast your ballot, visit Elections Canada’s website.
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