The majority of the students at Neerlandia’s Covenant Canadian Reformed School are too young to be voting in the upcoming provincial election, but that did not stop them from being involved in the process.
On Thursday, April 16 the three hopeful candidates for the Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock riding, incumbent Maureen Kubinec, PC, Glenn van Dijken, Wildrose and Tristan Turner, NDP, visited the school at the invitation of the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) school committee.
ARPA’s purpose is to educate, equip, and encourage people across Canada to be involved politically and to bring a Christian perspective to local, provincial and national politicians.
Before the students began to quiz the candidates on their parties’ policies, the candidates were first asked why they decided to enter political life.
Incumbent Maureen Kubinec said she first entered political life because of her children.
“I wanted to be involved in my kids education so I ran for school board trustee and that is something I did for a number of years,” she said, adding before running successfully for Westlock County Council.
Kubinec then decided to make the jump to provincial politics saying, “I’ve always wanted to be involved in the community where I live.”
Although Wildrose candidate Glenn van Dijken has never served on a municipal council or a school board, his path to political life is very similar to Kubinec’s.
At first he said he got involved in his community through his church and then slowly expanded his involvement through business and serving on a number of provincial boards. Eventually van Dijken got involved in provincial party politics by helping the Wildrose form its first constituency association in the area.
“I think every time you put yourself out there, you learn a little bit. When you learn about something then you become responsible for it and at the end of the day that’s why I decided to run for a provincial seat,” he said.
NDP candidate Tristan Turner said he too became interested in politics through his community involvement, first as a volunteer and then becoming involved at the party level through the New Democratic Youth of Alberta at the age of 14. Two years later he began to write a political column for his local paper.
“I’m not much older than most of you (Turner graduated from high school last year and is in his first year of university) because I think it’s important for young people to bring their opinion and that the services such as hospitals and schools are protected.”
The first question from a student was about Bill 10, which mandate schools to allow students to form gay-straight alliances (GSA).
“Do you support Bill 10 and if so would you also support the right of any pro-life student to set up a similar club in any school in Alberta?”
All the candidates said they supported Bill 10.
“I am an advocate of GSAs. I think it’s important to make sure every student feels safe,” Turner said, adding that he also supports a students right to form a pro-life club. “I think that a school group has to be created with the goals that benefit students.”
Although Kubinec initially voted against the first draft of the bill, said she was in favour of the revised legislation.
“I believe any group that feels they need some support, whether they have purple hair or yellow skin should have the ability to get together and have a safe place in schools to do it.” she said. “The safety of students is paramount and I talked to LBGT students who did not feel safe.” Kubinec added that she also supports the right of any student who like to form a pro-life club.
van Dijken said he would also support the right of students to form GSA and pro-life clubs.
“My party would respect the rights and freedoms of all and protect the rights and freedoms of all,” he said.
Another student asked if they agreed with the government funding independent religious schools and how independent should they be.
Once again the three candidates had similar views saying that they all agreed that government should fund the schools. They also agreed that they should have a high level of autonomy, but that the government had the right to ensure that basic curriculum standards were met.
Teacher Jacqueline Hamoen then asked the candidates since they all supported private religious schools if they support the current funding model where private schools are funded at 75 per cent, while public schools receive 100 per cent funding.
“Shouldn’t the funding follow the students?” she asked. “Why are some schools funded at the full amount while some receive less?”
Kubinec responded that education funding does follow the students and that private schools receive less because they have more independence than ones in the public system.
She said public schools also have to deal with the pay increase the Alberta Teachers’ Association received after signing their last contract that private schools do not.
Principal James Meinen said in the 2015 budget private schools funding was slashed to 68 per cent.
“In our new economic reality where oil is in the $50 range and the government doesn’t receive royalties until it is above $60 a barrel, we had to make some tough decisions and that is why there is a difference,” Kubinec said.
Turner said while he agreed there should be a difference between public and private school funding he said that the education system as a whole isn’t being funded as it should be.
“We’re not hiring new teachers, despite the province’s population is growing and the funding per student is going to be decreasing and probably will keep doing so for the next few years,” he said, adding that the explanation is the low price of oil. “The reality is that it’s a choice, whether we fund our schools at $20 a barrel of oil or $110.”
van Dijken said that under a Wildrose government, the budget cuts to private school per pupil funding would be restored to 75 per cent.
For the last question, a student asked the candidates view on the abortion law.
van Dijken said the abortion law is a federal matter, but it is Wildrose Party policy that the majority of votes in the legislature are free votes.
“What that means is that on issues of contention we would talk to our constituents,” he said. “My responsibility as an elected representative would be to bring that view forward in the legislature.”
Turner said that although it is a federal matter, that he personally believes in a woman’s right to choose.
Kubinec said it is a personal decision for everyone, but she personally believes in the sanctity of human life and would never choose an abortion for herself.
Teacher Jacqueline Hamoen, even though abortion was federal jurisdiction, if the province had to fund abortions.
“As a province we do have a choice,” she said. “They give the province so much money, but you can choose to spend the money to better health care for young mothers and adoption centres?”
All the candidates agreed that under Canada’s Health Act the provinces’ didn’t have that ability.
