NDP candidate in Grande Prairie—Mackenzie Jennifer Villebrun says she is running to try and enact change, saying the region is one that has been neglected by the federal government.
Running for the fourth time, including two prior NDP candidacies, Villebrun says a desire for progressive governance is more than a fleeting thought in the region.
“I see a lot of it in younger people, I think as time is passing, some of that traditional belief that this has to be a conservative riding is passing, you have people who want to have more of a voice,” she says.
“I feel strongly that I’m a person who is interested in what people say, I want to build a partnership in what we do in Ottawa, and I want northern Alberta to be a priority.”
Villebrun believes that the incumbent candidate, Chris Warkentin, has had more than enough time to show residents what he can do for them, and suggests nothing has changed. She says she will fight to create a bigger push for an influx of industry coming to the area.
“When they’re looking at things like where to attract businesses, that we are on the top of that list,” she says.
“There are people who can’t afford to put their children in childcare and maintain a job, and I think it’s unrealistic to put all our eggs in one basket and saying this time it’s going to be different,” she adds.
The 2021 federal election is set for September 20th.