On Saturday March 28, 2015, Chestermere Rocky View Wildrose MLA hopeful, Leela Aheer, held a pancake breakfast in the parking lot of the Waiting Room Café in Kinniburgh. Although the weather did not cooperate, the crowd simply moved indoors where they took the opportunity to speak to Aheer and discuss important community issues.
After a brief introduction by campaign manager, Patrick Bergen, who stated that “when we were looking for someone to run for the Wildrose, there was only one person that I thought would be the absolute perfect candidate”, Aheer spoke addressed those that had come to show support.
“I’m so privileged to be surrounded by so many incredible people. This is a very very interesting time politically. For those of you who are aware and listened about the budget, we’re in for some very very…. It feels difficult and it feels heavy on our shoulders what’s coming down the pipe. It’s a little nerve racking imagining that this is just a taste of the budget right now. It’s not a bill budget. It didn’t come through with any truthful ideas of what’s actually going to be happening in our province and presently, right now, regular every day Albertans are going to be taxed. And taxed in a way that we haven’t seen in this province.
It’s time for people to take back their province. It’s time for people to stand up and say what you need – and it’s time for people to use people like me, like your MLA. The responsibility falls on the shoulders of Albertans right now to use your vote and use your vote to get your voice out there so we can actually see change happen in this province.
We started to see it happen. There was momentum, we were getting excited about things that were coming down the pipe. Now it’s not about us so much but about our children and our grandchildren – who live in a phenomenal province. It is time for us to look at the legacy of our province and see what we can do, not only for ourselves, but our children and our grandchildren. Start putting money away for the future and looking at things that are actually feasible at this time.
That means working with the government that is presently in power but it also means giving them a bit of a run for their money and that means all of us need to get our mojo going and it means difficult choices. It means you need to stand up for yourself.
You have to use us, your MLA’s, as your people to put forward your idea. My expectation, when I win in this riding, is that I will hear from you. My expectation is that you will use me as a person to go forward. Literally, that is what I am. I’m that face that is there, but I’m there for you”.
