Brooks-MH ballot set, fifth candidate joins race
By COLLIN GALLANT on October 22, 2022.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant What was thought to be a three-way race now features five candidates to become the MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat riding. The late addition of Jeevan Mangat, aligned with the Wildrose Independence Party, was added Thursday to the ballot that was finalized on Friday afternoon. Already registered are Premier Danielle Smith, who is seeking a seat in the legislature after MLA Michaela Frey resigned. Former Brooks mayor, Barry Morishita, is contesting his first provincial-level election as Alberta Party leader, and New Democrat Gwendoline Dirk was nominated by her party last June. They are joined by two candidates pushing for an even stiffer challenge to Ottawa than is promised by Smith. One is Independence Party of Alberta candidate Bob Blayone, who announced his campaign this week. The other is Mangat, who is listed with Elections Alberta as the leader of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, though that is reportedly being challenged in court by another faction of the party. Nominations closed at 2 p.m. Friday. Advance voting takes place from Nov. 2-5. Election day is Nov. 8. Morishita spent Friday door knocking in Brooks and says the additional candidates will challenge Smith on sovereignty – an issue he says Albertans aren’t talking about. “It’s not going to affect our campaign at all,” he told the News. “People are frustrated that government is not working, and they need people who are willing to do a better job governing on today’s issues.” Smith announced her cabinet Friday following a caucus retreat this week, and now heads to the UCP policy conference near Edmonton. She did appear on an hour-long livestream discussion with former Brooks-Strathmore MLA and Western Standard publisher Derek Fildebrandt, stating her campaign team is busy in the riding. She reiterated her goal to replace the Alberta Health Services board by the end of 2022 for what she says were missteps in imposing restrictions during the pandemic. She also retained former health minister Tyler Shandro in cabinet as justice minister, and kept current Health Minister Jason Copping in place. Morishita said the moves were “old-style politics that people are fed up with.” “It speaks to pandering and she’s paying off all the people she needs to,” said Morishita. Also on Friday, NDP Leader Rachel Notley announced a new economic advisory team ahead of her party’s convention in Calgary. Local candidate Dirk said this week that while she was initially looking forward to attending, the unexpected byelection campaign will keep her in the riding. She told the News that while the UCP leader is busy laying out policy announcements in the first weeks in power, the NDP has a well-developed set of policies. “We have been consulting with Albertans since the 2019 election on this platform,” she said. The News was unable to find contact information for Mangat before press deadline on Friday, or other officials with the Wildrose Independence Party. Political blogs this summer outlined infighting and two factions of the party that were wrestling for control. One was led by Mangat and the other by founding leader Paul Hinman. Hinman told the News last week he would prefer to run a candidate to promote the party and challenge Smith’s position on climate change. However, he was going to court to have Elections Alberta certify his group as the party’s controlling interest over Mangat, who claimed the leadership at the WRIP annual general meeting last summer. Mangat, who Elections Alberta lists as the leader, ran for the Wildrose Party in the 2015 election, placing second in Calgary Buffalo to Joe Ceci of the NDP. Officials with the Alberta Liberal Party, the Alberta Green Party and the Buffalo Party of Alberta all told the News they would refrain from running in the byelection but rather focus on the expected election in May 2023. Official Candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot for the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding: – Bob Blayone, Independence Party of Alberta; – Gwendoline Dirk, Alberta New Democrats; – Jeevan Mangat, Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta; – Barry Morishita, Alberta Party; – Danielle Smith, United Conservative Party of Alberta. 33-32
