The Blog

It is with great honour and privilege that my journey to be MLA for Edmonton-South officially begins today! I hereby formally announce that I am seeking official nomination to be the Alberta Party candidate in the upcoming 2019 Alberta election. You know, I say that my journey begins today, but it really began nearly a decade ago as I travelled this great province many times over, seeing both the good and the bad. Over the years, I’ve meet with thousands of people, heard thousands of stories, spoke at and hosted thousands of events, and I’ve seen firsthand a lot of issues and a lot of hurt that can easily be fixed by competent governing. For those of you who know me, you know my passion, you know my heart, you know what makes me jump out of bed every morning with a smile on my face, and that’s Alberta. I love my province, I love my city, I love the people, and I can easily say there is not a single thing that I wouldn’t do for Alberta.

In fact, during this last recession, I looked around, I watched the news, I heard the stories, and I spoke with my neighbours — there was a lot of pain and suffering out there, and the big cloud of uncertainty was bigger and darker than ever. It felt like nobody was safe from the bad economy or from getting laid off. So, I did what any true Albertan would do, I rolled up my sleeves, filled up my F-150, and I drove around this great province raising hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, and hundreds of thousands of dollars for Albertans in need — among countless other resources and items. On my travels I saw parents who were just laid off, struggling to put food on their table and wondering where the next meal was going to come from. I saw children waking up on Christmas day with no gifts under the tree because their parents couldn’t find a job or afford the “extras” in life. I saw seniors struggling to afford bus passes or find adequate housing, also wondering if they could make ends meet. I saw people in need  and I said, “not on my watch,” so I did something about it. And I would do it all again in a heartbeat. This is not my first taste of helping the people of Alberta, nor working to build up my province, as I’ve been doing work like this since 2011. I’m proud to say that since June 2011, I’ve been able to raise millions of dollars in resources (food, money, clothing, items, etc.) for numerous charities across Alberta, without ever making a single cent off my work. Plus, I have been a strong and outspoken advocate for many different social programs and issues, such as the building of low-income housing, the protection of domestic abuse survivors, supporting our LGBTQ community, fighting for our senior citizens, and helping fund many programs that support children throughout the year.

This is what I have done; now, let’s get to what I will do as your MLA. Let’s talk about my values. I believe in fiscal responsibility and maximizing taxpayers dollars through accountability and transparency. I believe in keeping Alberta strong by embracing our number one industry and keeping our oil fields prosperous, while displaying continuous leadership in environmental protection. I believe in a grassroots approach to governing, and will ensure that everyone has a say and will be heard, I think this is very important. I believe in alleviating poverty and ending homelessness once and for all by working closely with organizations, charities and non-profit groups across Alberta. I believe in supporting and investing in our small and local businesses, and encouraging entrepreneurship. I believe in fighting hate and oppression by reinforcing that Alberta is a diverse, safe, and welcoming home for all. I believe in uniting Alberta by rallying the people and taking the divisiveness out of our legislature. I believe in fighting for the next generation by making positive strides in education and investing in our children’s future. I believe in investing in our economy by keeping Albertans working and their taxes low; paying down our province’s booming debt without cutting valuable social programs. I believe in Alberta!

These next few weeks will be very busy and I will be all over the place, but I am planning on hosting a few events to talk about my potential candidacy, the Alberta Party, and my dream for Alberta. I would love to have you join me at one of these events and I would love to hear what matters most to you! Like I said, I’m taking a very grassroots approach to my campaign, and for that to work, I need to hear from you! In closing, I would absolutely love and cherish your support, whether it be financial, word-of-mouth, or by simply volunteering and joining my team — I believe now is the time, I believe in the Alberta Party, and I believe in Alberta. But, I can’t do this alone. I need your support! Alberta Party memberships are currently selling for $1 — we believe that everyone should be able to have a say and that money should never be an issue. Join the movement! If you’re interested in the Alberta Party, send me an email, visit my website, attend one of my events, or contact me and we’ll set something up. Now is the time for change, now is the time for hard work, now is the time for Alberta; let me be your champion!

Dan Johnstone

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