BARRHEAD/WESTLOCK -A Westlock County man has joined the fray to attempt to earn the right to represent Peace River - Westlock voters as their federal member of Parliament.
Hazel Bluff resident Darrell Teske, a centrist or right-of-centre on the political spectrum, said that is precisely why he decided to challenge Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) incumbent Arnold Viersen, running as an independent candidate.
"It is because of my frustration with who we have now," he said, referring to Viersen. "We have an MP who embellishes and is not forward with issues. We deserve to have [an MP] that gives us an accurate picture of the issues."
Teske, 63, grew up on a mixed farm near Manola and spent most of his adult life working as a teacher, much of it teaching physics and general science to junior and senior high school students at R.F. Staples in Westlock.
He also has a background in construction and has his own construction company, which he has had since 1994, taking on projects in the summer months. He has also coached youth sports, notably hockey and badminton, volunteers at Barrhead Continuing Care Centre and just recently with the project to move the old Vermillion Spring School to the Canadian Tractor Museum by constructing the foundation it now sits on.
One of the issues Teske points to is where Viersen has embellished is human trafficking.
"I'm not saying I'm for human trafficking. Obviously, I'm not. It is a serious issue that we should do something about, but give it as much attention when the [Statistics Canada] data shows that there is about one in 100,000 people that are human trafficked," he said.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2023, 570 human trafficking incidents were reported to police or roughly 1.4 incidents per 100,000.
"That means in our constituency, one person in our riding was abducted for human trafficking," Teske said. "But he claims [in his Feb.19 media letter to the editor media release] that human trafficking is happening within 10 minutes of where you live. I live in Hazel Bluff. Is it happening 10 minutes from me? It is an embellishment and fabrication. It is not the truth, and this type of embellishment is happening all too often."
He also takes issue with Viersen's views about how the government can interfere with individual rights and how they want to live.
Not wanting to go into too much detail, Teske referred to comments the MP made towards the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (2SLGBTQ+) community, medical assistance in dying (MAID) and women's reproductive rights.
Viersen identifies himself as a social conservative and has voiced his opposition to MAID, publically celebrating via a Facebook video when the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. In 1973, in Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the constitution generally protects a pregnant woman's right to choose an abortion.
More recently, in late May 2024, when he was a guest on the Ontario MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith podcast Uncommons when posed a hypothetical question on same-sex marriage, Viersen said he would "vote gay marriage down."
"I am all about autotomy, people making up their own mind on how they operate their lives and conduct themselves as long as they are abiding within the lines of the law. Government shouldn't be passing judgment on others decisions," Teske said.
However, what pushed him over the edge was when he learned that CPC incumbents could forgo the nomination process by raising $15,000 and giving a portion of the funds raised $3,500 to the party.
He noted that the CPC is not the only party with protectionist clauses for their incumbents.
"They all have something to protect incumbents from the nomination process. That is not in the spirit of democracy," Teske said.
If elected, he said, he would advocate to allow the people to "vet" potential candidates of all parties.
"The only way to give dignity is to have it challenged and vetted to ensure we get the right people," Teske said. "As an MP, you should return to your constituency and invite people to challenge you."
Teske said although he would be an independent without party support, he believes it would put him in good stead, especially if it is a minority Parliament, with the parties potentially competing to get him and other independents to align or join them under their tent.
As for some of his other priorities, he would advocate for rural crime reduction strategies.
"If you look at the statistics, according to Statistics Canada, crime is on the rise in rural communities, and our riding is not alone in this, and I would like to know why," Teske said.
Potential solutions Teske would like to see are increased penalties for repeat offenders targeting rural sites and a national educational campaign for parents on the "nefarious side of social media".
He would also support hiring more police for rural Canadian communities and adding more early intervention strategies, including more mental health support in schools by partnering with social workers in the community.
Teske said he would also pressure the government to investigate why the court system is so bogged down, suggesting artificial intelligence (AI) to help justices and judges wade through the material, speeding up their decisions.
He likened it to an airplane pilot overseeing the autopilot system.
"I am not sure the technology is there yet, but I can see AI being an effective tool in the future," Teske said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
