The Airdrie-Cochrane NDP Constituency Association is on the brink of announcing its first candidate for the riding, hopeful to officially declare in the next couple of weeks. "We got great news this week that the vetting process for our candidate is happening as we speak," said constituency association president Kevin Mathews, a 30-year Cochrane resident who attended the annual NDP convention in Edmonton last week – where the riding had a slate of six delegates and one alternate as representation. While Mathews can not share specific details about the candidate until the "extensive vetting process" is complete, he did confirm that the individual is a "longtime Cochranite who grew up here." "Unlike the UCP, candidates don't go directly to Elections Alberta and announce they're going to be a candidate – we ask them to go through the party ... that way it gives the party an opportunity to ensure our candidates are of the best quality possible," said Mathews, adding that the governing party wants to avoid the "bozo eruptions" that have been taking place with some of the UCP candidates. Following the 2015 NDP victory, some of the new NDP MLAs made media headlines – and punchlines – with less than favourable social media histories coming to light. Mathews feels the measures put in place now will prevent a repeat of events. It is also not too late for interested potential candidates to come forward. Mathews said anyone who feels they would be up to the task should get in touch with him immediately to start the vetting process; he said the party would ideally have a candidate selected no later than end of January 2019, to allow time to campaign and sell memberships ahead of the provincial election. While only one name has made it this far in the vetting process to date, Mathews said this is likely due to the type of candidates the party attracts – typically those with young families who may not be able to balance the work of politics with their other responsibilities akin to having a young family and heavy financial obligations. "You will find most people interested in running for the NDP are working families, so they're young," said Mathews, adding that he and other party members have been "ecstatic" and even "surprised" at the positive reception they have been getting from door knocking in the riding – which is said to have one of the highest UCP memberships in the province. Mathews said he is concerned that should there be a UCP victory in this riding, that UCP leader Jason Kenney will make severe cuts under his balanced budget mandate – cuts that could include the funding of the interchange project at highways 1A/22 that NDP MLA Cam Westhead has been "working diligently" to keep top of mind on the highways priorities list. "We're looking at cuts that would make the Ralph Klein era cuts pretty minuscule compared to what Jason Kenney is saying," said Mathews, adding that Kenney's pre-capita funding would result in 20 per cent cuts across the board. "I like to support a party that is going to support the average Albertan, opposed to special interest groups or the ultra wealthy," said Mathews, a married father of three who is a journeyman millwright and welder. "I've always had a sympathetic ear and a social conscience," he said, adding that he feels the NDP's vision aligns best with his own and that is why he can lend personal support to the party. As the ballooning riding was separated earlier this year due to population growth, the former Banff-Cochrane riding has been split into two – part of Airdrie with Cochrane and Banff-Kananaskis (including Tsuut'ina and Morley, as well as Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows, Elbow Valley and Springbank). As a result, Westhead will run for re-election on that ballot and will not be campaigning in Cochrane. The UCP elected its Airdrie-Cochrane candidate, businessman Peter Guthrie, two weeks ago. Last weekend, the UCP elected its Banff-Kananaskis candidate, 23-year-old Miranda Rosin. The writ has yet to be dropped, but the provincial election is anticipated to take place in the spring of 2019. To get in touch with Mathews, email him at [email protected].
