Rob Miyashiro during Monday morning's conference. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Former city councillor Rob Miyashiro nominated as Alberta NDP candidate for Lethbridge-East

Nov 22, 2021 | 7:20 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Alberta NDP has its candidate for the riding of Lethbridge-East.

Rob Miyashiro will campaign to become an MLA in the next provincial election, set for 2023. He was up against Kevin McBeath, Maria Fitzpatrick and Amanda Jensen for nomination.

Miyashiro, a former two-term City of Lethbridge councillor, announced his intentions in August.

READ MORE: Councillor Rob Miyashiro seeking Alberta NDP nomination for Lethbridge-East

In addition to being a former city councillor, Miyashiro is the Executive Director of the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization. He said he is honoured to accept the nomination and thanked those who ran against him.

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At a news conference Monday morning, Miyashiro stated that “it will take real leadership to protect and properly fund public health care, to grow and diversify our economy and to reverse harmful UCP policies that have threatened our treasured national parks and our critical headwaters through the harmful proliferation of coal mines in our Rocky Mountains.”

He noted that health care is one of his top priorities and said Lethbridge faces a health care crisis.

“There are currently more than 20,000 residents in our city without a family physician and without access to one, and I’m one of them and it doesn’t feel good.”

Miyashiro said public health care has to be accessible to everyone “when they need it.”

He stated that, “we have also seen serious delays for critical health care lab work, and we’ve seen major concerns emerge with the EMS consolidation.”

“The people in Lethbridge pray they never need an ambulance but they also need reassurance that one will be there should an emergency occur and we’ve heard lots of horror stories during my time on council, right up until the last couple of weeks, of serious issues with the EMS dispatch in our area.”

Miyashiro said the health care troubles have been building for months “and nothing has been done the current UCP government.”

“They have forgotten about the people of our city despite the fact that Lethbridge-East is currently represented by a UCP MLA in Nathan Neudorf.”

He said Lethbridge cannot grow or secure its economic future without real access to health care.

“From there, we must also grow our economy. Jason Kenney’s policies, his so-called economic plan, has failed. Billions wasted on corporate handouts have created zero jobs, billions [have been] wasted on a pipeline that was clearly going to be cancelled [and] devastating generational cuts to the University of Lethbridge and post-secondary institutions right across the province.”

He remarked that he looks forward to working with current Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips ahead of the provincial election in 2023, and beyond, noting cooperation and teamwork is key to a bright future.

He said, “everything that happens in Lethbridge affects Lethbridge, it doesn’t just affect one area of Lethbridge.”

“To pay for these failed promises, Jason Kenney has downloaded costs on to family household budgets through hikes in property taxes because of lower transfers to the municipalities, [and] higher cost for car insurance, for electricity and so much more.”

Miyashiro believes funding is needed for renewable energy and tech projects and “through actually funding post-secondary institutions so they can fully realize their role as the engine of Alberta’s recovery and through building major infrastructure projects that have been promised to the people of this community, and that will create good paying jobs.”

He also put a focus on protecting parks and natural landscapes for future generations, noting, “we have seen a serious threat posed by the UCP’s pish for open coal mines in the Rocky Mountains.”

“We know that these minds will have a devastating effect on our water and will destroy southern Alberta agriculture. This short-term economic plan from the UCP will impose long-term pain for the people living here and it must be stopped.”

Miyashiro said in the spring, his wife suggested that if we were to continue working in politics, he should “run for the NDP”. Coincidentally, he was contacted by current Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips shortly after. She asked if he knew of anyone interested in running, and that’s what led to Miyashiro formally seeking nomination.

“It wasn’t this long-term plan for me to get involved in politics, it was something, I think a reaction – the same kind of reaction that all of you have and a lot of people in our community – is that things are happening that we don’t like and the only way to change is to get involved. You can’t just change it by sitting on the sidelines and throwing rocks.”

MLA Phillips was on hand for the Monday morning conference. She, like Miyashiro, thanked all who ran for the NDP nomination. She said, “I cannot wait to start campaigning with Rob right away.” Phillips had previously shared her intentions to run for re-election in 2023.

“Together, Rob and I, over the next few months or year and a half, however long it takes before Jason Kenney loses the confidence of his increasingly restive caucus, we will form team Lethbridge to mount a spirited campaign for both seats here in Lethbridge and of course, to represent this city in a Rachel Notley government.”

Miyashiro thanked his entire campaign team in seeking nomination, referring to his campaign as a “we campaign” as opposed to a “me campaign”.

He added that his work with the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization gives him an insight into the needs of the senior population in the community. Additionally, his eight years on Lethbridge City Council will serve as an advantage in seeking the position of MLA for Lethbridge-East. He believes many in the community know about him, but he is looking forward to getting know all residents better during the campaign process.