A longtime community member and Red Deer College instructor has announced his candidacy to represent Red Deer South as an Alberta Party candidate.

Serge Gingras, 56, said that there has been a loss of vision in what the government is supposed to do for people. “There was a time when we elected people to represent (us), and we would go to the government and say my community would be better off if it had this or that.” The government would in turn, ideally, return to the community with potential solutions.

“But that become reversed. We now elect people who represent the government to the people,” he said.

“So it’s about bringing people back to the government, and giving them the sense that government is working for them rather than having people working for the government.”

Gingras, who has lived in Red Deer since 1985, was a candidate in the Red Deer municipal election in 2013, and also ran in the last provincial election in 2012.

Currently, he said he’s been hearing from residents that they are concerned with the financial direction of the province. With the ongoing slide in oil prices, there is also a realization that the government did not necessarily manage the finances of the province in a way to protect us from that drop in the price of oil, he said.

Premier Jim Prentice’s indication that Albertans share the blame of this certainly hasn’t helped, he said.

As to why he has chosen to run under the Alberta Party banner, Gingras said the party was born from a grassroots movement. He added that there have been PC members and Alberta Liberals also exploring what the Alberta Party has to offer.

“It’s my view that the party is becoming and has become is the only viable alternative to bring change to government in this province,” said Gingras, adding that he’s also focused on the education sector, health and wellness, plus concerns over the aging population in terms of providing better access to affordable services that they need.

“I also think (leader) Greg Clark has a great sense of what government is and where the province is at. He also has great ideas in terms of how to bring workable solutions to the financial problems we have while looking after the needs of Albertans, and re-investing in people in this province which is something the government has tended to do less and less.”

The provincial budget is being released March 26th and a spring election is expected to be called shortly after.

editor@reddeerexpress.com