A Liberal candidate has stepped up to the plate in the Lakeland riding.
Mark Watson added his name to the ballot with the hope of being elected the next MP.
“I believe that the Liberals are the ones that are most willing to consider other points of view and have the best knack at coming forward with progressive ideas that look forward to the future, rather than looking back to the past,” said Watson.
Originally from Ontario, Watson has been in Alberta for 16 years, currently residing in Smoky Lake.
The former Smoky Lake Signal reporter got his first taste of politics at a young age.
“I started when I was 13 and my mother got us involved in supporting the Liberal Party in Ontario. Since then, I’ve worked in a number of different positions in each riding association that I’ve lived in. I’ve been the president of the riding association in Westlock – St. Paul, and now the Lakeland since 2009.”
Watson previously served on Smoky Lake town council, where he held the position of deputy mayor for much of that time.
He believes that experience will serve him well should he be elected as MP for the riding.
“I had to mediate a number of issues on the council, and also between the council and various groups in town. I had to serve on a number of different committees. That gave me a wide background of experience and contacts, and I feel that I have a great deal to bring to the position as MP. Also, to reach across the aisle and work together with members of other parties to get a consensus on various issues.”
His focus heading into the next election centres around healthcare and rural crime across the nation.
A member of the Smoky Lake County Rural Crime Watch for a number years, Watson expressed he’s disappointed with “the lack of emphasis on dealing with rural crime.”
“We’re leaving it up to the residents out in the rural areas to look after their own property and not deal with the police the way that the urban areas deal with the police.”
He added the negative impacts of crime have been felt by his family as well.
“I’ve been very concerned about crime in general for about 13 years, since my middle daughter was murdered back in Ontario. I’ve had to deal with a bit on that, and ended up attending the trial and being able to finally see the man accused of my daughter’s murder. At least I was able to see justice served, and hopefully, that’s something we’re going to see a lot more of.”
When it comes to healthcare, while Watson states it’s a provincial responsibility, he believes the federal government could have a hand in encouraging new approaches and working with the provinces.
“For example, in a place like Smoky Lake that has a hospital, it should be feasible to bring specialists out there perhaps once or twice a month for the different specialties,” Watson explained. “One of the legacies of the previous PC government in Alberta was hospitals in all of these smalls communities… I think that if Ottawa works with the provincial governments, there are ways that we could find to work together and bring better service to our residents.”
Watson also wants to ensure that First Nations and Métis communities receive the support they need.
“I’ve had a lot of contacts in the various aboriginal communities out here and back east. I hope that, if I’m elected, we’ll be able to work together on getting better services for them, things like water treatment and such, and to encourage them to work with us and take part in our communities.”
Watson is one of seven candidates vying for Lakeland MP in the Oct. 21 federal election. Also on the ballot is Green Party’s Kira Brunner, Roberta Graham of the Veterans Coalition Party of Canada, People’s Party of Canada candidate Alain Houle, Libertarian Robert McFadzean, Conservative incumbent Shannon Stubbs, and NDP Jeffrey Swanson.
