Candidates quick view
 |
Margaret Peggy Askin – Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada |
 |
Haley Brown – Liberal Party of Canada |
 |
Jason Kenney – Conservative Party of Canada |
 |
Brennan Wauters – Green Party of Canada |
 |
Laura Weston – New Democratic Party |
Margaret Peggy Askin | Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
Peggy Askin was born and raised in Edmonton, Alta. and has a BA in education from the University of Alberta. Askin taught elementary and junior high school, and was a founding member of the Women’s Program Centre at the University of Alberta. She later worked in telecommunications with Telus for 27 years, and was president of the Telecommunications Workers Union and co-chair of the women’s committee for the Calgary and District Labour Council. Astin is now retired.
The Calgary Journal asked Askin how she defines politics. She said it is “a means for Canadians to empower themselves, and a means for people to exercise control over their lives.” However, Askin added that with modern politics, “that’s not the case, and that’s why I think it’s important that we focus on the renewal of that system as well.”
If given the chance, Askin says she would not vote for another political party, “because main parties that are running are parties that do not want democratic renewal, and even listening to the debate, are all parties that are war parties – not parties in favour of peace.”
Office Number: 403-923-7054
Facebook:facebook.com/peggy.askin
*Return to top
Haley Brown | Liberal Party of Canada
Haley Brown is a born and raised Albertan. Brown strongly believes in Alberta’s unique place in Canada, and advocates for diversity in economic solutions in order for our economic programs to benefit everyone. She currently works as a senior project manager at Telus, having a BA in communications and culture from the University of Calgary. Brown also has an advanced certificate in project management from McMaster University.
In 2012 Brown successfully climbed 19,336 ft. to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania, Africa. Brown worked with the 28th G8 Summit held in Kananaskis, Alta., and volunteered at the 1996 Olympics Games that were held in Atlanta, Ga.. Brown has also helped raised funds for Habitat for Humanity and Free the Children, and is currently working with the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society.
Office Number: 587-577-5324
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaleyBrownYYC
Twitter: @Haley_M_Brown
*Return to top
Jason Kenney | Conservative Party of Canada
Jason Kenney is the incumbent MP for Calgary Southeast and is now running to represent Calgary Midnapore. Jason was born in Oakville, Ont., but was raised in Wilcox, Sask. He studied philosophy at the University of San Francisco, but left before completing the program to begin a career with the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, wherein he served as executive assistant to party leader Ralph Goodale, in 1988.
Kenney was hired by the Alberta Taxpayers Association in 1989 as their first executive director, and then by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation as their president and CEO in 1990. In 1997 he was elected to Parliament as an MP for the Reform Party of Canada in the riding of Calgary Southeast. Kenney has held this office for the last 18 years, seeing the party transform into the Canadian Alliance, and later, the Conservative Party of Canada. Kenney was the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration for the Harper government from October 2008 to July 2013 and was the Minister of Employment and Social Development from July 2013 to February 2015.
Kenney now sits as the current Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Multiculturalism for the Harper government. Kenney is also the grandson of jazz musician Mart Kenney, and a member of the Roman Catholic faith.
Office Number: 403-454-8370
Facebook: facebook.com/kenneyjasont?fref=ts
Twitter: @jkenney
*Return to top
Brennan Wauters | Green Party of Canada
Brennan Wauters is a certified Red Seal electrician and is internationally recognized as a wind turbine technician. Wauters has a BA in anthropology from the University of Lethbridge, and later graduated from McGill University with a MA in communications. Wauters is currently continuing his work as an electrician, while trying to bring his environmentally conscious values into everything he does to better serve Canadians.
As a professional, he hopes to build a new economy for Alberta based on alternative energy and believes in preserving Canada’s environmental wealth. Wauters is also passionate about societal issues that have risen and caused adversity for Canadians, and he strives to achieve equality in everyday situations and in his political stance. He both supports and is a part of many grassroots organizations in Alberta.
Wauters ran in the 2013 British Columbia provincial election for the Green Party of BC, and in 2011 for the Green Party of Canada in the riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky. Wauters told the Calgary Journal he defines politics as “the struggle to define who and what we are communally, a struggle to define who we are and what we are, how we make decisions, and what those decisions hold for our future.” If he had to vote for another party, Brennan says he would choose to vote NDP, because they hold similar values to the Green Party, and “because of their promise of proportional representation.”
Office Number: 587-899-8978
Facebook: facebook.com/brennanwauters?fref=ts
Twitter: @brennanwauters
*Return to top
Laura Weston | New Democratic Party of Canada
Laura Weston grew up within the boundaries of the Calgary Midnapore riding. Weston is now part of Tom Mulcair’s NDP team, and is determined to prioritize middle class families in the Calgary Midnapore riding. Having had first hand experience seeing middle class families struggle and work hard but never appear to get ahead of the game, Weston is passionate about fighting for the middle class that she originated from.
Weston is an experienced lawyer with a background in civil litigation, employment law and environmental law, having obtained a BA of arts from Ambrose University College and her MA in law from University of Victoria, BC. During her time in Victoria, Weston also worked for the Environment Law Center. Weston is an advocate for domestic violence awareness, and is a member of various boards and committees centred on dispute resolution, mental health and human rights.
Weston told the Calgary Journal she defines politics as “the discourse between a people and their government,” a key communicative tool for building a better society. If Weston had to vote for another party in this election, she would go Green, because they share “similarities in values and electoral reform” to the NDP. Weston continues to reside in the Calgary Midnapore riding with her husband Leif, and their one-year-old son.
Office Number: 403-455-4202
Facebook:facebook.com/westonndp?fref=ts
Twitter:@WestonNDP
Midnapore at a glance
The Calgary Midnapore riding is a new federal division in the 2015 election. It was created in 2012 with the federal electoral boundaries redistribution, comprising the old Calgary Southeast, Southwest and Macleod boundaries. The riding includes all areas and communities within the boundaries of the Bow River’s west bank, Glenmore Trail SE, Spruce Meadows Way SW and 226 Avenue SE.
Historically, the Calgary Southeast riding, from which Calgary Midnapore has taken most of its constituents, has remained largely Conservative, voting incumbent MP Jason Kenney into office for the last 18 years. The NDP is the closest runner-up in this riding, raking in just over 10 per cent of the vote in 2011. The riding contains mostly residential areas and recreational wildernesses, and borders the Bow River and Spruce Meadows closely.
Map courtesy of elections.ca.