If there was a single word to describe the last week, it would be educational.

Wednesday evening we were at the University of Alberta for "Alberta Party 101" where Stephen and other candidates were able to talk about how we can grow Alberta in a sustainable and socially progressive way. There were many concerns about the deficit and how current students are going to be expected to pay off what this government is spending over the next 30 years. What we all agreed on was that a common sense approach is needed in politics, and that is what the Alberta Party offers! 

Following the University of Alberta event, Stephen continued the theme of education by heading to Mount Royal University, where he learnt about the Department of Child Studies and Social Work. Not only is it interesting to hear about the different ways that the University conducts research, but on top of that the challenge to consistently strive to streamline and change up metrics is very impressive. Two central solutions that the department has come up with are to focus on different ways to help Indigenous Communities and to think of new ways to build people’s confidence and mental health. 

While Stephen was still in Calgary he was able to meet-up with his Calgary team members and Mike Law from Alberta Electric System Operator who explained how the electricity market is transitioning for the 21st century and how that will impact Alberta. 
Afterwards, we were able to participate in a Q&A with United Way of Calgary which allowed us to share information to this wonderful not for profit about the Alberta Party and why the we are the best choice for the future of Alberta. The United Way, like so many not for profit organizations are leading the charge on collaboration with different communities and really seeking out new and exciting ways to engage people. 

On Sunday we held a very successful campaign college with many of our candidates attending along with their senior campaign team members. We had some excellent presenters and are thrilled to have such a high level of talent on our team heading into the election. We always hear people ask how many candidates we will have in the election, well we are happy to say that we will be fielding a full slate of 87 candidates and will be a viable third option for those who dislike the petty politics being practiced by Rachel Notley and Jason Kenney. 

On Monday, Stephen spoke at the Rotary Club of Edmonton delivering a crowd thrilling speech. We need practical solutions to get our province back on track. We need to engage with people from all parts of the province, and to ensure that people are being heard. We can't sit in our echo chambers and rage against one or two policies that we hate, we need fact based solutions and with an Alberta Party Government, that is what you will get. 

Tuesday, we celebrated our Special Assistant William Lau's birthday in style by going out for a team lunch. In 2019 especially, we need to continue to foster an environment where we can have an open dialogue and sing someone "happy birthday" in a restaurant. To William, sorry for embarrassing you, twice. 

In addition, we had the great opportunity to meet with the Alberta Association of Childcare Operators, and heard from them about the lay of the land for childcare, and some difficulties that they are facing. 

To end our blog week, we had a great time attending Pramod Kumar's fundraiser in Edmonton-South, followed by heading back home to McClung for our weekly campaign meeting which as always was a hoot! 

Thanks for reading, see you next week! 

-Stephen and his McClung team