Two government ministers were out and about in the Hamlet of Lac La Biche last week, talking with locals and visiting people throughout the community.
Lac La Biche-St. Paul MLA and Minister of Transportation Ray Danyluk and Edmonton-Whitemud MLA and Minister of Human Services Dave Hancock were in town Jan. 25 as part of a province-wide cabinet tour. The ministers had a full day of hand-shaking and conversation as they visited coffees shops, non-profits, government buildings, and lunch and dinner functions throughout the community.
“People want to talk to their representatives,” Danyluk said in a conversation with editorial staff at the Lac La Biche Post office. “And that’s what these tours are about: they’re about listening and learning for ministers. And it’s an opportunity for communities to talk about what they feel their challenges, issues, or attributes are.”
Over coffee at Snickerdoodles, locals asked the ministers about everything from the school at the Bold Center (see story Pg 9), to roads, healthcare, and electricity bills.
“It is so important that we go out, not necessarily in our own ministries, and listen to what people have to say,” Danyluk said, who also visited Edmonton, St. Albert, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, and Fort McMurray last week. “I go to different areas and see differences in transportation – but I also learn about seniors housing, and I learn about health care, and I learn about different directions for other areas.”
Called a “pre-campaign” tour
However, opposition parties were quick to call the cabinet tour – which included Premier Alison Redford as well as other ministers visiting 25 communities over four days – a pre-election campaign exercise using taxpayer money, considering an election will likely be called within a couple months.
“MLAs should be listening to their constituents year-round, not just a few months before an election,” Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills Wildrose Party candidate Shayne Saskiw told the Post. “And they definitely shouldn’t be using taxpayer dollars to campaign. And that’s what they were doing: campaigning.”
Hancock, who said he’s been on at least 10 cabinet tours in his 15 years in the provincial government, dismissed the allegations and stressed the importance of travelling throughout the province and talking to ordinary Albertans.
“That’s what we do: we go out every day to talk to people and hope their hopes and aspirations and dreams will be seen and realized in what we’re doing,” Hancock said, adding the cabinet tours happen nearly every year regardless if there’s an election. “But to say we’re doing this because we’re campaigning this year is crazy. We did it last year – were we campaigning then?”
Tour ran late throughout day
Regardless if it was campaigning or not, Lac La Bichers seized the opportunity to bend the politicians’ ears over a cup of coffee at Snickerdoodles, a table saw at the Job Corps, or lunch at the Heritage Centre. The ministers also toured Hope Haven, met with local bureaucrats and the public at the Provincial Building, visited the Lac La Biche Canadian Native Friendship Centre, and had a dinner and public visit at the Bold Center.
However, perhaps due to the enthusiasm of the community and the politicians, the minister’s visits ran progressively later throughout the day – to the point where they were 45 minutes late to the meeting at the Provincial Building and a full hour late to the Friendship Centre. Because they were so late, a planned exhibition of local Métis culture at the Friendship Centre didn’t happen as most participants left before the ministers arrived.
Still, the ministers both said the exercise is an effective way of reaching out to communities.
“You have to get out there to see it,” Hancock said. “And we do that on an annual basis. And that’s one of the reasons, I would suggest, that this government has been able to stay in touch with the public and stay in touch with what’s happening – because we care enough to come out.”
