What are your thoughts on the oil sands sector?
On the oil sands sector, this is a valuable sector, a valuable industry, within our nation, within the world. We can do a lot to help the world and, and positively affect climate change. And I hope that someday someone gives us the opportunity to do just that. To displace the some of the more intensive carbon fuels out there, like coal as an example.
Do you have any plans or policy regarding emissions from oil sands?
Yeah, I believe we’re committed to becoming zero to zero emissions by 2050, which is a realistic target. Admittedly, lots of technology still have to be developed in and amongst other things.
What are your plans for addressing EMS response times?
Well, EMS is my wheelhouse as a foreign paramedic firefighter, I can attest to the fact that I believe that municipalities, specifically our larger urban municipalities are better equipped to, better position to manage EMS. And so I’ve always advocated for a return of EMS from the province back to the larger municipalities.
Do you have plans to address inflation or economic plans in general?
I think our overall plans to address inflation, I mean, our deal more with the federal government and doing things like eliminating the carbon tax as an example, which we’re seeing has impacted everything now. And it’s a it’s a tax on everything. And we’re definitely seeing that now. But from a provincial perspective, we’ve done a lot of things like we’ve eliminated the fuel tax, as an example, among some other things to to make life more affordable for Albertans.
Why did you choose to run?
Why did I choose to run because I love this community, and I want to represent it well. It was actually Brian Jean, who enticed me to run back in 2015. And, you know, I still thank him to this day for that this honour of representing, I think we’ve been very successful in getting some investment back to Fort McMurray. And if the community gives me one opportunity to do just that. I would say, I see a lot of progress in that direction.
What makes you the right choice?
Well, I know this community I grew up here. I’m very much involved in this community. I know all the nuances to this to this region. I know the people and that’s what you need when you have a representative as someone who’s very knowledgeable about the community.
If someone is undecided, what would you do or say to convince them?
There’s really just two choices that people have. It’s either the New Democrats, the NDP, or the United Conservatives. The United Conservatives are very much pro-Fort McMurray, pro-industry, pro-responsible development, whereas the NDP, if you look at they are they’re no different than they’re part and parcel with the federal liberal and NDP coalition. And they desire to see Fort McMurray end. For anyone to support any of the independents would be about splitting the vote and giving the NDP an opportunity to get power here in Fort McMurray.
Anything else regarding plans or policies or anything you want the people to know?
I suppose my platform would be the fact that I want to make Fort McMurray more livable. So that means ensuring that our provincial government invested in our post-secondary institutions to make Keyano College an exceptional institution for education. It involves our local hospital increasing the number of services and specialists that has, and I think we’re well on our way with that we’re getting the residency program back, which will help bring physicians to our community and to finish off their training. A future objective would certainly be to get physicians to be trained here, as well as developing the infrastructure. So we’re twinning the highway to 63 up north. Again, that’s to enable more people to have an easier commute from the oil companies to Fort McMurray. Again. It’s about making Fort McMurray more livable so that people will live here.
You can listen to the full interview here: Election 2023: Tany Yao – UCP.