Between dealing with COVID-19, the politics of Ottawa, and a federal election, It has certainly been an eventful year for MP for Battle River-Crowfoot Damien Kurek.
Kurek took a few minutes to chat with the Mail about the year that is ending and what the future holds for 2022. The Federal election in September saw very little change in the political landscape.
“There was an election, that left things at the status quo, very nominal changes. But circumstances are evolving quickly, whether it be the pandemic where there are changes each and every day on that front, the economy, the fact the world seems to be positioned to have a global energy crisis, and Alberta can either be at the forefront of or be lagging behind,” he said. “In the midst of all these challenges, to not have a government that is willing to acknowledge and move in a direction that could benefit our country is very frustrating.”
He said concerns about the pandemic played into the results at the polls.
“We saw some positive results, but we saw Canadians were wary of making a significant change. It is not that they didn’t care about the issues, but they were wary of making a significant change in the midst of what is still a crisis. I think it speaks to the irresponsibility of the Prime Minister to take advantage of a crisis for his political gain by calling an election,” Kurek said.
He says despite the Conservative party of Canada making marginal gains in the election, it has been successful in bringing issues to the forefront.
“As we faced an election nobody really wanted, we saw once again more Canadians chose Conservatives more than any other political party, and although that didn’t result in us winning the most seats in parliament, the message of Canada’s recovery, we need to focus on things like accountability, our economy, good governance, and ethics,” said Kurek. “We have looked at the election, the result, and the conversations we have come out from that. We see how many of the things we had a chance to talk about are still very relevant and are continuing to resonate with Canadians across the country today.
Despite this, he has a positive outlook on the coming years.
“When I look at where things are, I am optimistic about ultimately the future of our country, the future of this region, and how the folks of Battle River-Crowfoot have shown incredible resilience over what has been a difficult number of years,” said Kurek. “I am optimistic about our Party. The fact inflation is on the agenda, it is on the evening news, it is what a lot of Canadians are talking about. They see prices going up in the grocery store. It speaks to Conservatives being responsive to the issues that Canadians are facing.”
He adds the pandemic has been hard on Canadians in all walks of life.
“Canadians are desperate to see how next month- next year – ‘how can my future look bright again?’ and I think that’s our message for the future and something Canadians are ready for,” he said. “We want to lead the charge. In the midst of the challenge we face, and in the midst of some of the public health issues that exist and are not behind us. We can have the conversation about what Canada looks like in the future.”
The goals of his party remain unchanged.
“We are endeavoring to make sure in the capacity of the official opposition we are the voice of regular everyday working Canadians who are struggling to get ahead. We have their backs and we’ll fight for the things they care for to make sure they can be optimistic about their future.”