Miyashiro gets NDP nod in Lethbridge West
By Lethbridge Herald on September 9, 2024.
Rob Miyashiro, seen at his August announcement alongside former MLA Shannon Phillips, has been chosen as the NDP candidate for Lethbridge West.
Herald file photoAlexandra Noad – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Rob Miyashiro has been selected by NDP party members in Lethbridge West to take on the yet to be announced UCP party candidate in a byelection.
The riding was vacated when NDP MLA Shannon Phillips stepped down July 1 a year into her third term.
Voter turnout was 73 per-cent of more 1,500 eligible voters in the nomination race between Miyashiro and Bridget Mearns, which Miyashiro says is not only a great turnout, but shows NDP supporters in Lethbridge West will be prepared when a byelection is called.
“It got everybody engaged and got everyone ready for the byelection. There is a huge team of people ready to go out and work for us to gain support across the constituency and the people that are willing to come and help us win,” said Miyashiro.
Miyashiro credited the highest turnout to the NDP Lethbridge West constituency to Naheed Nenshi being announced as the NDP leader back in June.
“It is unbelievably good. Some of it is also can be attributed to our new leader, Naheed Nenshi, who had created a lot of excitement around the leadership race earlier this year and a lot of the people obviously felt the need that they wanted to be a part of this process, continuing to battle in the byelection,” said Miyashiro.
He added the people who nominated him will be the people volunteering to door knock, and make phone calls along with other volunteer opportunities the party has the need for.
“It gives us a huge starting point. It’s a bigger starting point you’ve ever had. So that’s a that’s a big plus running into a campaign that’s not very long,” said Miyashiro.
Premier Danielle Smith has until Jan. 1 to announce a byelection, but Miyashiro is already strategizing how he is going to help the people he may be serving as Lethbridge West MLA.
He has plans to look at the health care system, especially the lack of doctors and specialists in Alberta.
“There’s two parts of our system, really that we really need to fix in order to move forward,” said Miyashiro.
Miyashiro also has concerns with the underfunding of school systems especially with schools needing long overdue renovations.
“We need to push for that to get done. So kids have the best, most inclusive and safest places to learn,” said Miyashiro.
While all of these are province-wide issues, Miyashiro also has his eye on upgrading the wastewater treatment plant in Lethbridge, something that is not only a concern for clean drinking water, but it also affects the agricultural sector as well.
“We’ve been asking for assistance with our wastewater and water treatment facilities to upgrade them. And we do need to, because of the growth of our community and the growth of our region and where we actually supply treated water to. We’ve been asking the provincial government to assist with upgrades on those for quite some time and they’re just not doing it,” said Miyashiro.
While this is just the beginning, Miyashiro says he is excited about the traction he feels the NDP has when a byelection is called.
“This also brings us an opportunity to provide the first victory for our new leader in his term as leadership. In his term leadership. So that’s something I think that’s exciting for us as well, is that we can help move the party ahead and not just by winning the seat.”
On Monday, Mearns congratulated Miyashiro on the X platform writing “it was a close one with fantastic engagement from the membership. Thank you to all Lethbridge West supporters and my volunteers. We unite for the Alberta we believe in.”
20-19
Miyashiro, failure as Lethbridge City Councillor (Rightly noted as being a “bully”) failure in his bid for Lethbridge East (where he actually lives).
We can’t wait to see his defeat in Lethbridge West where there are three superior candidates challenging who will represent Lethbridge West United Conservative Party (UCP).
Anyone who has any desire for a MLA to represent them or to go to for assistance, has only to remember how aloof Mrs. Shannon Phillips was/is…. she never responded to e-mails, never answered calls, was impossible to meet with! In fact she never attended ANY Lethbridge City Council meetings for three years! Then she dumped/jumped ship not even mid-term??? Confidence in Lethbridge West NDP, “No thank you!”
Mr. Miyashiro, keep playing in your 40 year career at LSCO and leave the serious politics to someone who will actually do the job.
Sour grapes HaroldP
Truth spoken in you comment HaroldP! Many are not aware of the extra work MLA East office had, dealing with many of the MLA West issues that were dumped on them the last couple of years since people had little access to that office!
We just have to look back in the archives of Lethbridge City Council meetings to remind us all of the unrest in Council, the attacks openly during meetings against fellow coucilors, attacks that many felt were unacceptable. It is there in the archives. Judging by comments made by Miyashiro in other media, he fails to acknowledge this and in my mind I would expect we are going to see a very dirty campaign from his side!
Can’t remove spots from a leopard!
Harold.. Remember when he beat you TWICE in city council elections?! LOL
No thanks Rob.
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/adam-zivo-crack-pipe-vending-machines-and-home-delivery-do-not-reduce-harm
https://theprovince.com/opinion/adam-zivo-b-c-s-plan-to-turn-public-washrooms-into-comfortable-drug-dens/wcm/7e9d01a2-8a36-42da-87b7-967da80b10cf
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/safer-supply-clients-selling-most-of-their-free-opioids-addictions-worker-says
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/adam-zivo-b-c-ndps-disastrous-decriminalization-plan-was-never-going-to-work
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/shame-the-drug-users-not-the-nurses-forced-to-breathe-in-crack-smoke-at-work?taid=66170f64ab646400017784bd&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
https://theprovince.com/news/nurses-speak-out-about-consequences-of-drug-use-in-hospitals/wcm/5f89caff-e784-4d7d-8e5d-e884a0bbe7fd
https://theprovince.com/opinion/b-c-tells-nurses-to-ignore-rising-phenomenon-of-armed-patients-doing-drugs-in-hospitals/wcm/2dd3eae2-9e42-4b5f-a6ff-3339b36ab228
Would like to know the candidates position??
NDP, Federal or Provincial all follow the same manifest.
Anyone not related to the UCP will get my vote. George
Interestingly, the voters in Lethbridge East in 2023 gave Neudorf the win by only 636 votes over Miyashiro. The Liberal candidate got 488 votes which added with the NDP votes, gave Neudorf the win by 148 votes. Good on the UCP for their ongoing missteps which are resonating ever more with voters.
UCP, not the brightest crayons in the box.
So everyone is happy with NDP policies or hasn’t anything intelligent to add. Talk about brightest crayons in the box. All insult, no depth. What do you think of the policies exposed in BC. Same party. Listening but not holding breath.
You speak of a coalition of votes in Lethbridge. Your dear leader Singh just abandoned that gong show in Ottawa. Pffft. Meaningless.