We're now just a week away from early polling in this provincial election, with local campaigns well underway.

The economy is a major part of each party's platform, which is no different for the Alberta Independence Party and their Highwood candidate Dan Irving.

He says an independent Alberta will have a much easier time building a pipeline.

"We guarantee that we will have shovels in the ground 12 months from today. How we can do that is we have international law on our side, first of all. Any independent country has access to tide waters, no land locked country can impede a country from getting their product to tide waters. We understand that BC might try to hold us up; the biggest question here is how long can BC survive and not go bankrupt without having their pipelines that go through Alberta shut off, and how long can BC survive without trading with the rest of Canada without being to go through Alberta either by air or ground?"

Taxation is a big part of the AIP's platform, with a tax structure that Irving says will benefit businesses, workers, and even schools.

"I've had a great opportunity to talk to teachers in this riding and they're really concerned about the UCP platform. They're also really happy about and excited about how, without adding a single penny to the school budget, school budgets will also have an extra $600 per month for each class with the new tax structure. It works on both sides of the board; on the employees side and the employers side."

Door knocking is a common way for candidates to communicate directly with constituents. Irving says communication and the willingness to listen to constituents plays a large part in his campaign

"If there's ever a question people have, I'll always have the time to answer. There's no time frame when I'm knocking on doors whether it's five minutes or an hour. I've been talking to some people, we've had conversations for two hours. People are excited about the opportunity that Alberta has under the Alberta Independence Party because they see the future. They see the whole truth is that we're here to listen, we're here to make change, and we are here to take control of our destiny, and not let someone back in Ottawa decide for us."

Overall, Irving encourages thorough research, urging constituents to look deep into the policies of each party, and to listen closely to candidates who may contradict their party's platform.

 

To get in contact with Irving and the AIP, click here.

 

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