Name:
Megan Ciurysek
The Alberta New Democrat Party
I decided to run because, over the past few years, I’ve seen what’s happened to this community that I call home. Under the UCP government, our education system has fallen into shambles – and as a mom of two little ones, I want to know they’ll get the education they deserve. I’ve also seen how the UCP and Danielle Smith have chased doctors and healthcare workers out of this province, leaving our public healthcare in chaos.
I can see a future for Alberta where every single Albertan can access health care. Where our kids get the support they need to grow and develop into the leaders they should have the chance to become—a better future for Alberta and for Central Peace-Notley.
The first thing I’d want to implement should I be lucky enough to represent our community in Edmonton would be getting everyone in Central Peace-Notley a family doctor through our plan for Family Health Teams. Plus, we would immediately start the work to reverse the changes to the K-6 curriculum being imposed by the UCP.
After the UCP cut education funding, fired teachers and swapped out a strong curriculum for their mess of one, our schools have fallen into disrepair. Classrooms are bursting at the seams, and what was once one of the best public educations in the country now has been set back 50 years. So, I would make sure we hire 4,000 new teachers across the province and 3,000 educational assistants.
I would also work to make sure that everyone who needs a doctor will get a doctor by investing in Family Health Teams that increase healthcare professionals’ capacity.
It’s clear that those who live here are eager for a change, they want representatives and leaders they can trust and who put them first. Quite honestly, people don’t feel like they’ve gotten that from Danielle Smith and the UCP.
But the Alberta NDP has a trusted leader in Rachel Notley. She and her team are listening to what’s important to Albertans so that they can address real problems. I plan to emulate her approach of putting in the hard work and preparing thoroughly for every negotiation, as well as bringing professionalism and respect to the table in order to get the best deal possible for our constituents. I will ensure this community has an effective voice in Edmonton, and I’ll never stop listening to the people in this community to put their needs first.
I’d like to see that every single person in the Peace Region can get health care when and where they need it, without paying out of pocket. I want to see a future where people have more money in their pockets because our utility bills and car insurance are lowered, and there are more good-paying jobs in the region.
We are at a pivotal moment. Our economy is changing and we must be ready. The decisions we make today will have long-lasting implications for future generations. Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP have a plan to attract $20 billion in private-sector capital investment and create 47,000 good-paying jobs.
We’ll do this through the Alberta’s Future Tax Credit, which will spur investment in cleantech, carbon materials, critical minerals processing and advanced manufacturing.
I also know that this vision for the Peace Region is completely attainable and realistic, we just need compassionate, competent and stable leadership to make it possible.
I chose to run with the Alberta NDP because Alberta needs a leader that will provide stability and doesn’t say one thing at breakfast and then by dinner have changed their mind. I also wanted to work with a competent team who has a real plan to address the biggest issues everyday Albertans are facing, not what’s best for a few people – like having a plan to bring more doctors to the province, to create good-paying jobs and lower costs.
Our energy sector has provided good jobs and prosperity for our province for generations, but we aren’t seeing the benefits of oil price booms of the past. Investment has flatlined and wages have stagnated. We need to keep looking ahead to the future and continue moving our economy forward, while building on our strengths.
We need to take the next step forward. We need bold and innovative ideas that create those good-paying industrial jobs. Today is about jobs for the future, jobs that pay the bills.
Rachel Notley has also committed to creating a regulatory fast pass — similar to a Nexus for businesses with good records — to get well-developed projects built sooner, and we will make sure workers have access to high-quality skills and safety training for industrial jobs.
The Alberta NDP delivers on every single one of these things, and that’s why I’ve decided to throw my support behind Rachel Notley and work with the party.
If Rachel Notley becomes premier and the Alberta NDP forms government, we’ll make sure everyone is able to get a doctor when and where they need one. We’ll also work to make life more affordable for every Albertan by putting caps on utility bills and car insurance, which the UCP removed, and we’ll remove small business taxes so that small business owners can take home more money. We will not raise personal income tax because we know that every single dollar counts for families.
Small businesses, like farms, are a major economic driver in the province, employing more than one million Albertans. However, Alberta’s small business owners have struggled over the last few years and they deserve more help.
The Alberta NDP will eliminate the small business tax to help thousands of local businesses and farms get back on their feet and support aspiring entrepreneurs as they pursue their dreams. This will save business owners up to $10,000 per year.
The Alberta NDP and Rachel Notley want to build a better future for generations to come.
If I were to win, then four years from now, I’d want this community to know that I was always there for them and always put their interests first. I’d want them to feel like I always listened to them, was responsive and found real solutions.
I’d also want them to think that because I always was advocating for them, their day-to-day lives have gotten better – whether it be about accessing health care, having more money in their pocket, or a better local economy.
I was raised on a farm near Berwyn, Alberta, and educated in the area, I did move away for post-secondary education. But when I chose to pursue my career in Northern Development with the Government of Alberta, I knew I wanted to focus on this area, so I moved back.
My spouse and I have two amazing children, who inspire me every day to help build a better Alberta with a great economy and a strong health care system.
I love the community-mindedness in Central Peace-Notley and how we all work together to support each other, and I want to see better, which I know the Alberta NDP can give us.
