Health care, power bills and the future of long term care were the top topics of conversation at a provincial candidates’ forum held Monday.
The local chapter of Seniors United Now (SUN) invited the provincial candidates for both the St. Albert and Spruce Grove-St. Albert ridings to their forum that aimed to put the focus squarely on seniors’ issues.
Tim Osborne from the Alberta Party, Progressive Conservative Steven Khan and Nicole Bownes from the NDP, who will challenge for the St. Albert riding, along with Rev. J.J. Trudeau, who will run in Spruce Grove-St. Albert for the NDP, were on hand.
Instead of speaking from podiums, the candidates rotated between tables of seniors, engaging in conversations and taking questions on a variety of topics with health care, the high cost of prescription drugs and the challenges with long-term care beds appearing to dominate the agenda.
Dick Tansey, chair of the local chapter, said health care, benefits and supports, and a desire for better home care are all major issues facing seniors and they wanted to hear the candidates address those issues.
Tansey said SUN used the roundtable format when they met with municipal election candidates two years ago and he values the insight and debate it brings.
“There is nothing like getting personal with the candidates to see who they are and what they are all about.”
Bownes said she appreciated the chance to interact with potential voters.
“It actually gave the opportunity for people to ask their own questions, as well as for us to ask questions of them.”
She said the cost of living was a central concern at all of the tables she visited.
“I heard that people were concerned about affordability, specifically electricity, but also about long-term care.”
Osborne said he also appreciated the format.
“It is kind of a model of what we need more of in the province, which is more dialogue, rather than debate.”
Long-term care was a top-of-mind issue among the tables he visited and he said people are concerned about the government’s plans.
“I think people are really concerned about long-term care, about removing the cap on long-term care fees.”
Trudeau said she heard a lot about health care, but also about the need to make sure all health needs are being met.
“They would like to see a better pharma-care, something that covers what doctors say they need.”
Khan received several pointed questions about government policies on all of these issues. He said he does represent the party in power, but he emphasized it is a party in transition that is ready to work on solutions.
“You want to be able to represent your government, but I think there is a real sense of renewal with the new PC candidates and we want to emphasize that as much as we can.”
