Health care, budget dominate byelection debate

Concerns about cuts to health care and the Alberta Tories' handling of government finances dominated a recent all-candidates forum in southwest Calgary.

Six people are running for MLA in the Calgary-Glenmore riding byelection Monday.

About 120 people packed into the Southwood community hall for the forum on Thursday night.

"The No. 1 priority that I feel is important is managing the economy and staying the course through this recession," said Diane Colley-Urquhart, a city alderman running for the governing Progressive Conservatives. "And secondly, dealing with all the issues and the reorganization around health care."

Liberal candidate Avalon Roberts, who covered some of the same issues in her introduction, seemed to score the loudest applause whenever she attacked the Ed Stelmach government.

"I have spoken out about sound financial management," she said. "What has been missing with this government is sound financial management. We did not arrive in this recession by accident."

Wild Rose Alliance candidate Paul Hinman also spoke out about the provincial deficit, which has reached $6.9 billion this year. He also criticized the Tory's creation of a single health-care board.

"People have said over and over that any time a government centralizes power and decisions into a politically appointed board, it has never been in the interest of the citizens," he said. "We don't need the super-board; it's not in our best interest."

Onlooker Donna Michaels said she felt Colley-Urquhart avoided some direct questions about how she would handle the riding's concerns in the legislature, instead referring to her time and actions as an alderman for the past nine years.

"A lot of times she didn't answer the question period," she said.

Travis Chase said he plans to vote for Hinman, who has already spent a term as an MLA.

"We need to not send a 71st person to be in the PC caucus. We need some effective opposition there and it's just not getting done with the 11 opposition MLAs in the legislature in Edmonton," he said.

Also running are:

• Len Skowronski for the Social Credit Party.
• Independent Antoni Grochowski.
• Eric Carpendale for the Alberta NDP, who was not at the forum.