Leader of the Alberta Party, Barry Morishita, with his team at their campaign office in Medicine Hat, located on the ground floor of 579 - 3 Street SE near the 6 Street entrance. From left: Barry Morishita, Jim Taylor, Troy Wason (campaign manager), Darrell Dunn, Lisa Mackintosh and Theo Weigel.--NEWS PHOTOS SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
Barry Morishita has been the leader of the Alberta Party for almost a year – a party looking for new footing after being shut out of the legislature in the last election.
“It’s hard when you aren’t part of the legislature, and don’t have a seat, to get some attention. It’s been one of the struggles the Alberta Party’s had,” he said.
Morishita spent 16 years on council in Brooks, six or those as mayor. He also served on the board of what was then the Alberta Municipalities Association (now Alberta Municipalities) for seven years, four as president. He has a broad provincial scope and has travelled all over the province, dedicating three weeks each summer over four years to visit about 260 municipalities.
Born and raised in Brooks, Morishita is disappointed new Premier Danielle Smith chose to run in the Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection when there are other opportunities. He feels Calgary-Elbow, which hasn’t had representation in the legislature since the end of August, would have been a better choice for Smith.
Morishita says Smith’s motivation is purely opportunistic, and he thinks she chose this area because she believes not much effort will be required to win.
“The fact is this is a very unique riding. We are in rural Alberta, but we have unique city issues. There are challenges and opportunities here that I think you have to live here to be a part of and to be able to represent that view to the legislature, which is what an MLA’s job is.”
The reality, for Morishita, is Smith is going to parachute herself into the constituency and try to be the MLA for a community she knows little about. And in the end, it could only be for six months, as he feels Smith will run in Livingston-McLeod during the general election in May, though she has said she is open to running in Brooks-Medicine Hat. The question for Morishita is: How does that help this area?
Morishita and his team were in Medicine Hat this past weekend knocking on doors and talking to locals.
“I think one of the most important things in this byelection is electing a local representative who understands the issues and knows the people who live here. (Someone who) can relate to how decision making affects small businesses, local government, education and health care.
“Solutions are right in front of us, and I think we have to empower local professionals to do that job, and that is something I would champion hard for if I am the MLA.”
