By The Canadian Press

Federal Conservatives looking to hold on to seat in Alberta byelection

Oct 24, 2016 | 5:43 AM

MEDICINE HAT — Voters go to the polls in a sprawling riding in southern Alberta today that hasn’t elected a Liberal MP since 1968.

The byelection in the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding called after MP Jim Hillyer died of a heart attack earlier this year in his Parliament Hill office.

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner was a new riding in the 2015 election — it was formerly Medicine Hat.

The last MP Medicine Hat voters elected who wasn’t from a right-of-centre party was Bud Olson. He was originally voted in as a member of the Social Credit, crossed to the Liberals and was re-elected when the party swept to power under Pierre Trudeau in 1968.

Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose dropped into the riding in the past couple of weeks in hopes of boosting the chances of their local candidates.

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There are six candidates running for the seat including Conservative Glen Motz and Liberal Stan Sakamoto.

“We’ve got over 11 per cent unemployment here. We really have been a forgotten corner for so long — for decades. The gut feeling I have, if I can get more employment for people here, I’d be proud to do that,” said Sakamoto.

Motz, a retired police officer, said having another Liberal MP from Alberta would do nothing for the area.

“Some people have lost their hope and optimism based on all the rhetoric that’s been going on from the prime minister’s Liberal government. There’s been nothing done for job creation. We’ve seen increased taxes and now the proposed carbon tax.”

The Canadian Press

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