Lauren Thorsteinson is the only candidate running for election under the Reform Party banner in all of Alberta.
She says her party was not quite ready for this election, but she was ready and willing to run.
“We are a new party, but we aren’t where we want to be so it’s just me. But I wanted to run and so I am,” Thorsteinson said.
She chose to run for MLA in the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding because she was worried the two major leaders in the election would not take Alberta in the right direction.
Alberta could move forward in this election, or it could move backwards, Thorsteinson said.
“I think people are forgetting why the NDP were elected in the first place, because they were tired of the PC regime. But now they are tired of the NDP spending and seem to be ready to go back to essentially what we had before,” said Thorsteinson.
There are three main areas of concern for Thorsteinson, areas she says are often slow moving which is why they aren’t noticeable right away.
She feels like parental rights are being removed from parents as well as both religious freedom and free speech.
“It is very slow moving and things you really wouldn’t notice at first until they start to build up like they have,” she said.
Along with the what she calls the loss of rights, Thorsteinson also identified the provincial debt as a major concern for her.
The Reform Party wants to lower both personal and corporate taxes in the province, according to Thorsteinson.
The Reform Party says they are fiscally conservative and would require, “Mandatory balanced budgets, limited government, lower taxes, and fiscal responsibility for future generations.”
If elected as MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, Thorsteinson says she will be a facilitator to her constituents.
“As MLA it is your job to listen to what the people want. You are a facilitator,” she said. “You are a voice for what is wanted and needed in your riding.”
While she doesn’t have much political experience, outside of growing up with her father Randy Thorsteinson, leader of the Reform Party, she says she brings a fresh outlook to politics.
“I believe I would be a really good option for people and think [the Reform Party] has a really great platform that will appeal to many people,” said Thorsteinson.
Advance polls for the general election are open now and Election Day is April 16.