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By Shaun Penner

Dueck wants new hospital; freedom to choose as Independent candidate

Mar 14, 2019 | 2:31 PM

A third candidate has emerged for the spring provincial election in the GP-Wapiti riding.

Terry Dueck has announced that he will be running as an Independent candidate for the seat in the Alberta legislature, going up against Travis Toews of the UCP and Jason Jones of the Alberta Party.

“I want a change. I’ve been around (here) for a while and served three terms on Beaverlodge Town Council,” said Dueck. “I think it’s time for somebody to have a voice that isn’t in a party.”

Aside from serving on Town Council in Beaverlodge, Dueck previously ran as an independent in the 2001 provincial election, eventually losing to Gordon Graydon of the Progressive Conservatives. Currently, Dueck works for the County of Grande Prairie as Facilities Coordinator. He has also spent time in his career working for Alberta Justice, Alberta Agriculture and Alberta Environment.

Despite the 2001 loss, Dueck sees more of an advantage to running as an independent this time around because of the parity in voting choices, as opposed to a “Blue Wave” of voters going to the PC’s back then. The Progressive Conservatives won 74 of 83 seats in 2001.

“So many times in a party, you have to vote the way the party goes,” said Dueck. “This way, who ever is in power, if they come up with some good ideas, I can vote that way. I’m not going to be told how I can vote.”

Some of the key issues Dueck wants to tackle include raising the minimum wage above $15 an hour and continuing to increase funding to education. However, he says his first priority is to get a new hospital built in Beaverlodge.

“It’s the oldest hospital in Alberta now,” said Dueck. “We’ve asked for years for that hospital to be built. We’ve had Premiers and Ministers come up and talk to us… We just haven’t had any luck in getting anywhere.”

He said he would also want to see that the new hospital construction in Grande Prairie finally gets finished, as well as getting highways and roads throughout the Peace Country repaired.

Dueck says too that he wants to make sure the voices of the Peace Country are heard.

“I’m a dedicated individual and I want a strong voice for Alberta and this region,” said Dueck. “I’ll scrap with anybody, anytime. Not only for this province but this region especially.”

by Shaun Penner