Rivals in Edmonton-Glenora gear up for the next election

By Elizabeth Walters

EDMONTON – Two rivals from the last provincial election are set to face each other again in Edmonton-Glenora.

Liberal Bruce Miller, who won the riding in 2004, is challenging Conservative incumbent Heather Klimchuk, who defeated him in 2008.

As an advocate for the poor, Miller hopes to push for reform to Alberta’s welfare system.

“I think I did a really good job, I worked really hard for them and I would like to take the seat back,” Miller said, adding that he would especially like to help “the people who are the poorest in the riding, who often get overlooked.”

Miller believes social assistance programs blame the victim and need to be revamped. “Conservative governments consistently don’t raise the level of social assistance.”

Miller attended the Occupy Edmonton protest in support of the Occupy Wall Street protest.

“We can make changes,” he said. “We can change the tax system, we can develop different methods of making sure people who don’t have jobs and who are the poorest of the poor get a proper living.”

The last time Miller ran, his leader was Kevin Taft. Now he’s running with newly chosen Liberal leader Raj Sherman. Both leaders had an interest in health care, and so does Miller. Sherman worked as an ER doctor for many years. “He has great ideas about fixing health care, so I think we can assure the seniors that we can improve and revamp the health care system,” Miller said.

As for winning the election “I’m not worried about the Conservative incumbent, Mrs. Klimchuk, and I’m not worried about other candidates,” Miller said. “I’m just concerned to get the Liberal vote out.”

Conservative Heather Klimchuk is the newly appointed minister of Culture and Community Services. Klimchuk is highly involved in the community. She has helped with planning and development for the Glenora Community League and worked as a chair on Glenora School Council.

Klimchuk is a Conservative, but her ideals are often further left on the political spectrum, she said. “I’ve been a huge supporter of housing for homeless in this community, and that to me is more another party idea, but I know it’s the right thing to do, and I will always do the right thing,” Klimchuk said.

Klimchuk said she works hard to balance her work as a minister with her responsibility to her constituents. “It’s a privilege being an MLA and I certainly want to be back at the dance,” she said. “I’m very excited and I think what I’m going to be able to sell is my accessibility.”

Klimchuk sends out a newsletter every few months to keep the constituents updated and involved.

As the Service Alberta Minister, Klimchuk worked on what she calls “pocketbook issues” such as regulating payday loan companies, removing expiry dates from gift cards and, in September, regulating home inspectors.

“Pocketbook issues are very important to you and I and to everybody, so I’m proud of my record and I look forward to defending it and being a champion of change for the constituents of Glenora,” Klimchuk said.

Klimchuk has also worked with the community facility enhancement program to build playgrounds, and has worked hard to implement safe community initiatives. “I think that when I go back to the electorate I will have a record that I want to defend.”

Other candidates in Edmonton-Glenora include Sue Huff from the Alberta Party and Ray Martin from the NDP. (Both whom West Edmonton Local featured in an earlier story) The Wildrose candidate has yet to be nominated.