'We've been discounted': Medicine Hat awaits first visit from premier since election
In addition to no visit from Premier Notley, Mayor Clugston says he's never even received a call
It has been one year and nine months since Alberta elected its NDP government and residents of Medicine Hat have yet to receive a visit from Premier Rachel Notley — an absence that has been quite conspicuous to Mayor Ted Clugston.
"For the first year that she hadn't come down to Medicine Hat, I didn't say anything. But we hosted the Alberta Winter Games here about a year ago ... and traditionally the premier will attend that event," Clugston told CBC. "And she didn't show up, that's when I started making some comments, both to our local MLA and some of our ministers."
In addition to not receiving a visit from the premier, Clugston said he has yet to receive a call from her.
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The premier's perceived lack of involvement in the southeastern part of the province has sparked talk that perhaps Medicine Hat is once again becoming the clichéd "forgotten corner" of the province.
"I used to say that, and then I stopped saying it, because I thought that's not constructive. And we need to work with the province, and we were having quite a bit of success for a while there [under the previous government]," Clugston said.
"But now I'm finding everything we're saying is falling on deaf ears again."
'We've been discounted'
Tracy Noullett, the treasurer for the Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce, said locals are certainly feeling the impact of the government's policies but consultation has been lacking.
We haven't been represented, and we haven't been consulted- Tracy Noullett
"We've had ministers come to Medicine Hat, and we appreciate that. But the premier is the representative of all Albertans, so to not be in a corner of our province, for us not to have access to our premier, does feel like we've been discounted," Noullett said.
"We haven't been represented, and we haven't been consulted."
The minimum wage hike has been the problem they've heard most about from business owners.
"A living wage is not the same amount when you look across the province. And so it hit this area very hard," she said.
Officials say Medicine Hat not forgotten
NDP MLA Robert Wanner is one of the representatives for Medicine Hat in Edmonton. He said the number of ministers who have stopped in the city makes worries over the premier's absence unnecessary.
"The fact that the premier per se has not been able to make her schedule work because of other taxing priorities seems somewhat redundant when you see how many ministers we've had there," Wanner said.
"I think it's pretty resounding evidence that this government is reaching out and they see some real opportunities for the province in southeastern Alberta."
Speaker represents Medicine Hat first
Wanner said while he serves as the Speaker of the legislative assembly, that does no compromise his ability to represent his constituents.
"Any projects that ordinarily may not get the ear of a minister, I think it's fair to say that I've played my role as an MLA, in many respects as well as any MLA in the province," he told CBC.
Officials in Premier Notley's office said in October a visit to Medicine Hat was a "high priority," according to local media outlets. However no trips have been put on the schedule as of yet.
"Medicine Hat is certainly an important community to the government and it has absolutely not been forgotten," a spokesperson for the premier said Friday.
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