UCP hopeful Leclerc believes in finding solutions to issues

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 3, 2024.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Erin Leclerc is running for the UCP nomination to represent Lethbridge West in a byelection to fill the seat vacated in July by Shannon Phillips.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Erin Leclerc knows the world of politics well from working behind the scenes both provincially and federally.

Now she’s thrown her hat in the ring to win the UCP nomination to represent Lethbridge West against either Rob Miyashiro or Bridge Mearns in a by-election to fill the vacancy left when NDP MLA Shannon Phillips vacated her seat on July 1.

Leclerc has served as constituency office manager for both Lethbridge East UCP MLA Nathan Neudorf and Lethbridge Conservative MP Rachael Thomas.

She was also Neudorf’s campaign manager in the 2019 provincial election.

Leclerc, along with fellow candidates Shauna Gruninger and John Middleton-Hope, will be stating her case for nomination to UCP members at a Sept. 12 forum in the theatre gallery of the Lethbridge Public Library.

Leclerc believes the priority of candidates for office should be the interests of their constituents rather than their own interests.

Lethbridge West, said Leclerc in a recent interview at The Herald, is a diverse riding where everybody isn’t going to have the same points of view. And it’s her goal if she earns the nomination to be the UCP’s candidate to bring the riding’s concerns, issues and needs to the attention of the government with a focus on finding solutions.

“It’s trying to listen and see what is the majority needing and wanting,” said Leclerc.

“There’s a lot of issues, there’s a lot of concerns, and there’s a lot of needs. I’m going to try to be the type of person that highlights those needs to the government and to the caucus and make sure Lethbridge is well represented.”

She says Albertans have always been people who can come up with creative solutions to the challenges facing them. She believes Albertans are people with positive attitudes who want hope for their children. Leclerc feels it’s important to work on affordability for seniors who devoted their lives to helping the province prosper and younger generations who are working to ensure it continues to prosper.

“This is a hard-working, gritty province and they’ve always been up for the challenge to come up with innovative solutions and they never quit. And I love that about Albertans. Albertans have a positive attitude so shouldn’t their politicians have a positive attitude?”

Leclerc says there is much opportunity to find solutions to Alberta’s problems that create growth, prosperity and a place where people want to raise their children.

Through her work with Neudorf and Thomas, Leclerc has seen the negativity that exists in politics and the frustrations that residents have.

One reason for entering the race for the UCP nomination, said Leclerc, is she believes there needs to be choice in the riding.

She also has experience working on the concerns of Lethbridge West constituents.

When Phillips office was closed to constituents, Leclerc says Neudorf’s office often assisted frustrated Lethbridge West residents with their problems, taking calls, doing case files and relaying concerns to government, indirectly serving those residents as well as those in Lethbridge East.

“Working with Nathan Neudorf has given me the opportunity to work and represent the East but also the West. When it came to the supervised consumption site, our office took so many of the calls and worked on highlighting to the government the need for treatment and recovery and why that was so important,” said Leclerc.

Leclerc says once new recovery facilities are completed and running, the province will see the results of the government’s strategy.

Leclerc also feels because of her experience “Lethbridge West just deserves to have a public servant who actually serves the public.”

The UCP hopeful feels some politicians go into service for the right reasons – “they want to be an advocate for their constituents, they want to be a liaison between their constituency and the government, they want to make sure that their constituents voices are heard in the legislature and I think those are the people that understand the role.

“And then there are the people who go into politics that are all about an issue that they want to conquer or a policy they want to see changed. And it’s not as much about the people as it is about their own views on a certain issue,” said Leclerc.

“That’s why I believe the idea ‘what does serving the public actually look like. And how can we do that well? How can I represent well the needs of Lethbridge West?’ It’s about them, not about me,” added Leclerc.

There are multiple issues facing Lethbridge as a whole which need to be addressed, said the UCP hopeful.

Lethbridge needs a larger water/wastewater facility, which is a top priority if the city is going to grow, said Leclerc.

The hospital needs to expand so it can better serve the area around the growing area around Lethbridge.

“We need our infrastructure to grow, we need our health care to grow, we need everything to grow with us as we grow. And I think that we have a government who wants to help with growth,” added Leclerc.