Riding Talk

Some people are saying: " Ken Epp has done a great job standing up for the riding. " ! Would they now tell us what are some of the things he has done? I think it is just an Alberta habit, he is a PC, therefor they vote for him. I still feel that Laurie Lang and Jack Layton should get our vote.!!!!

Ken Epp has done a great job standing up for the riding. He's one of the most well respected and well liked MPs on the Hill and, unlike most people, he can use his personal capital to actually get things done for the residents of Edmonton-Sherwood Park. Epp only lives just outside the riding because of changes to the boundaries brought in by the Liberals. His commitment to the community is obvious. The people of this area will vote for Ken, and our area will continue to be effectively represented by an honest, committed, and intellegent MP.

Yes, Mr. Epp, Mr. Klien, same brush, same retoric, everybody accepts the cheque, and collects the accolades. Please, Remember GST, brought to you by the conservatives, Gun control, brought to you by the liberals, along with a balanced budget. Hospital wait lists look to "king" Ralph, he gets the money and controls where it goes for healthcare, blame the liberals Ralph ran against Lawrence Decore and LOST, he switched parties and blamed the liberals for everything since. Make a choice, use your best judgement, BUT Please Vote. Your retoric, who cares, Look to the South, your vote counts, it's your right, Vote Please.. Hopefully Mr. Epp will lose, Mr. Harper is just scary, now Indians, Gay Rights, Womens issues, all are issues to look at. Please Vote.

It was interesting to learn that most of the Sherwood Park residents think that Ken Epp cannot do anything for us but still want to vote for him. Why don't we try smoething different - Lynn Lau of the Green Party? I think she has the right combination of the education, work experience and voluteer experience to serve us.

" What issues are residents in this riding talking about? " Most appear to "talk" about how the Conservatives are going to be elected from Alberta anyway. This kind of thinking keeps giving us klein in Alberta !! Read the platforms and get out and VOTE. Really vote, do not be sheep, study the issues and make an informed decision. If we are going to have a minority government, then lets give the NDP with theNational Decisive Policies a chance.They are the only party that did anything for Canadians. Thank You

There is little question that Ron Symic, the Liberal candidate, will be a real alternative to Ken Epp in this election. Ron Symic seems dynamic, intelligent and willing to fight for us while Epp, quite honestly, has in my opinion barely fought for anything in the interests of Edmonton-Sherwood Park. Ken Epp does not even live in our riding and in my mind has been in power far too long just because he has a blue logo, and I think it's time for a real change in the next election in this riding. Not for NDP big government, not for Conservative deficits, but for the same Liberal management that has made us the most prosperous nation in the G8, balanced our books and given us the lowest unemployment we've seen in 30 years.

For almost two decades the American government has acrimoniously held softwood lumber hostage to a GROWING problem they see as a threat to THEIR country.This is the export of Canada`s number one cash crop,Marijuana.The US view dope with the same disdain as the Liberal Social Democrats(LSD`S)view firearms.The billions withheld are being used to finance the ATF,DEA,INS and various other government agencies to protect THEIR border`s from our seepage of ILLEGAL immigrants and 1000`s of tonnes of WEED.This problem is the elephant in the room that the Liberals fail to mention and the media monkeys refuse to report.

I totally agree that Ken Epp will be re-elected because the voters of this riding cannot see the ineffectiveness of this Memer of Parliament. Voters in Edmonton-Sherwood Park will blidly follow the provincial blue tide and elect an unremarkable individual to the House of Commons - rather than electing someone who will actually fight for what is best for their constituents.

Ken Epp's claim to fame in over 10 years as the MP is how much money he saves the tax payer by staying in the Motel 6 when he is in Ottawa rather than renting an apartment - woo hoo! way to go Ken! what have you done for the residents of your riding - except collect a cheque and guarantee yourself an indexed pention for life....

Well I guess we get what we vote for.

Ken Epp will get in. He always does even though he has never done anything... Well aside from collect a cheque.

Okay, I'm killing myself (find the irony) over Martin's handgun policy. First, it allows any province to opt out (Western rednecks will rejoice) so it has no national teeth. Second, it allows the exception of target shooters and allows any gun collectors to become target shooters so it doesn't apply to anyone. Thirdly, any gun policy coming from the Liberals who just spendt 1 billion dollars to mess up the registration of long guns is a joke. Are we suppose to take them serious? This is a policy to make Toronto (nice to see the Toronto mayor there) feel safe and it's not an honest one. Martin says 75% of murders are committed with handguns which is a twist of the truth. 75% of gun murders are committed with handguns, only 18% of murders are committed with handguns, with the vast majority being beatings and stabbings. This will not get guns out of the hands of criminals. This will not make our cities safer. This will appease Toronto voters and cost another billion dollars.

Conservatives will win this riding but not for the right reasons. People here vote conservative more out of habit than conviction. There is real frustration with the Liberals who are the real bumbling fools with no vision. Liberal brag about joining the Kyoto Accord and mock the USA for opting out yet the Americans have made far greater strides in reducing greenhouse emissions. The Grits contend they are the saviours of Health Care yet what do we have after 12 years of Liberal rule. Longer waiting lists, mounting costs, and under the Martin finance years, transfer payments were cut. The Liberal love affair with big government (second only to the NDP) has resulted in one financial boondoggle to the next. Childcare will be the next one. Without national standards (they let Quebec opt out), they will pass on millions (which they've already done) to provinces who haven't opened up one extra childcare space (which has already happened). Any yet, Harper, who will give us $1200 per child, who will cut GST, is a scary man who Belinda Stronach says is the greatest threat to unity. What the Liberals have done in Quebec in the last 10 years is destroying unity. And we've paid for it in taxes and we will pay for it when the country breaks up. And yet...the Liberals still lead in the polls. Like sheep to the slaughter.

I have to laugh at people who belittle the GST reform by the conservatives to 5%. I agree it is mostly a political move rather than an efficient tax move but who cares. The GST was a hated tax if there ever was one. I do my taxes once a year and only once will see an impact of tax change to my personal deduction limit. I pay the GST every day and am reminded the cost of something is not the real cost, but government takes my money. They take too much of it. We are the highest taxed G7 country. Are we getting our money's worth. Not when the Liberals under estimate their surpluses and end up with higher surpluses each year than Alberta. It's not a matter of just using the tax money efficiently for my benifit. They are taking too much. Leave some of it in my pocket, both yearly and daily.

I thought the CBC did a great TV spot on the difference policies of the Liberals and Conservatives on Childcare (where are the NDP?). I think if Canadadians put thought into it (I wish more did), it would be a major issue. It speaks volumes on where the two major parties differ in philosophy. Martin connected it to Health Care and called it a defining social program. Harper emphasized parents have the right to decide how to raise their own children. Classis bigger government vs. individual rights. Regardless that Martin's plan proposes more money, it only affects 25% of the children in this country as it is only for children in government registered childcare. Harper has it right. 47% of children (2001 stats) stay at home, another 28% have childcare provided by friends / family / unregistered day homes. It would be only fair to help them as well. I am leary about goverment deciding only their plan is the right plan and it is part of a social engineering experiment so our children are raised properly.

Alberta is awash with conservatism so most people will probably vote for the incumbent Ken Epp. However, the conservatives don't really have anything good to say out here.

Tax cuts sound nice but in reality, I'd like my government to do more for me with the money I give them. I'd like more infrastructure, lower cost education, improved health care services and cleaner air (Sherwood Park is downwind from Edmonton's "Refinery Row"). In all of these topic areas, the Conservatives are bumbling fools with no vision. The Liberals aren't doing very well in polls in Alberta except in pockets (new Canadians like the Liberals and some parts of Edmonton) so I don't expect they'll be much of a factor in this province.

I really feel that the only party that is in line with my values and that is willing to work for Canadians on the hill is the NDP. While I doubt the NDP will win a seat in Alberta, I'm doing everything I can to make sure they put up a good fight and if there's a close race, the NDP will win it.

On a side note, Stephen Harper's announcement to cut the GST by 2% is almost laughable. In Alberta, we're insulated from the rest of Canada because we don't have a provincial sales tax. We'll actually see the 2% difference. In provinces that have a provincial sales tax, 2% off the GST must seem like a small drop in a big bucket.