Tanya Heyden-Kaye is the Red Deer- Lacombe riding incumbent for the New Democratic Party. We asked Heyden-Kaye a series of questions here is a look at her responses. (All candidates have been reached out to and will be featured at different times on LacombeOnline.com)

How do you plan to get more money and jobs for Canadians after the challenge of the pandemic? 

That is a really good question. During a pandemic, what I noticed is that it really seemed like larger corporations and oil companies, etc got quite a bit of help where small businesses seemed to be left behind. I do believe that's partially in Alberta because our government here, the UCP, does not seem to work very well with the Federal Government. There was money left on the table and spent in different ways. 

The NDP plan that will be put into action would definitely be supporting small businesses. The other thing that the NDP is investing in is alternative energy. Obviously, everybody wants to be at work. Everybody needs to support their family. There should be supports there for people who need training. There should be supports there for people who have lost their jobs in the oilfield due to automation. 

Not only does creating jobs through clean energy create jobs because then we will have lots of things for people to do, but on top of that clean energy helps with the climate crisis we're in.  

 

Canadians are saying they care a lot about the environment. What issues do you see is having the biggest impact on their environment and how do you plan on addressing it? 

The NDP platform is pretty clear on that as well. We are in a climate crisis. The time to act is now the time to be bold about actions is now. There is no reason why we can't cut down on fossil fuels and create jobs at the same time. 

We want a healthy economy. We want people to be able to have jobs and work. We have to really pay attention right now. This climate crisis is not just affecting our water, it's not just affecting our air. People died in the heat dome this summer like we can really see those effects right now. 

 

How does your party plan to address reconciliation with indigenous people in Canada? 

Reconciliation and Indigenous led reconciliation is pretty high on my priority list. I'd say it's number one and it also goes hand in hand with climate change, housing, poverty, safety, and addictions. 

One of the things is implementing the 94 calls to action from the TRC. The very last call to action number 94 is simply changing the oath of citizenship to say that as a Canadian, we will honor the Treaties with First Nations people. That should be a pretty easy one to implement. 

We have to have those seats at the table. For example, getting the infrastructure we need into Mackwacis, Montana, Ermineskin, and Samson. If we’re getting infrastructure there, that also is a project that needs to be indigenous led. Sometimes, it’s easy for us to forget as Settlers that we can't just go in to a community and bring a bunch of people in to do this job. The First Nations people need to be able to be doing those jobs as well. Those types of contracts also need to be led by First Nation.  

Again, you can also look on online ndp.ca at the platform, but the relationship needs to be a hand-in-hand equal relationship. 

 

How do you plan to manage the shifting needs of the health care system following the pandemic? 

This is a really difficult situation that we're in here and it's simply caused by a complete void of leadership here in Alberta. Our Premier, our Health Officer, Tyler Shandro—all of them have simply abdicated any responsibility and put it directly on small businesses and schools. It's appalling, actually.  

In Alberta, our healthcare system is basically getting to the point where it's not functioning anymore. Adding more beds isn't appropriate; having actual health measures is appropriate. Making sure that people who are vaccinated are safe and making sure kids are safe is incredibly important. If we have to wear masks and if those of us who have been vaccinated are allowed to have proof of vaccination, that we can show for travel, for business, and other things like that. We have to be able to have restrictions. Restrictions will ease the healthcare crisis that we’re in. With those restrictions, especially if you have any shut down, small business must be supported not with loans. They have to be supported in a way where they get paid over a shutdown. 

What services do you think can be created or enhanced to address major social issues such as poverty, addiction, homelessness, and unemployment? 

A lot of those things come can be solved by a universal basic income. Jagmeet Singh has outlined a housing plan as well that includes housing co-ops, building buildings that are strictly for citizens to live in—not for a big company to buy and rent out and keep raising the rent, not for real estate speculation, like not as an investment for big companies but as an investment in our communities. People need places to live.  

I really want to say that in Alberta I hear a lot about unemployment but somehow it seems like people do not take into consideration that our health care system is a huge employer. Our service sector is a huge employer. Cutting things that are meant for families like cutting health care, none of those things help employment. When you layoff a whole bunch of teachers because you are cutting money from the education budget or you layoff educational assistants to save money in the budget, you're not actually saving any money because now these people don't have jobs. Basically, money helps people. People in poverty aren't there because they want to be. People want to be working and people want to be spending money in the economy. 

 

How do you plan on supporting Alberta's core industries such as oil and gas, tourism, forestry and agriculture? 

I do understand that oil is definitely a core industry in Alberta energy is a core industry. I think that we need to hold oil companies to account and make sure that they're treating their employees right.  

[We need to] create more jobs in clean energy. Hopefully, people that are laid off from that sector or you know we all know that oil is a bit of a boom-and-bust cycle. Hopefully, we can create jobs that are that are steadier that are more long term. 

 

What major infrastructure projects do you see as high priority for this region? 

Major infrastructure in Alberta and especially in our region needs to go into indigenous communities. That is where the most major need is. Winter is coming right now. There is a huge population of people who don't have homes or houses especially between Ponoka—where I live and Wetaskiwin. There is people right now that I know aren’t going to have a safe place to be in Wetaskiwin over the winter time. Housing is just part of the infrastructure.  

There’s water, roads, there’s so much infrastructure that’s needed in Samson, Ermineskine, and Montana. There are places I can’t get to because I don’t have a 4X4 that means people who are living there can’t get out. We have a hidden third world nation in Alberta and that's where most of our infrastructure needs to go right now.