A number of names are in the running to replace Rachel Notley as the leader of the NDP in Alberta.
One of those is Sarah Hoffman, who’s previously served as the Health Minister and Deputy Premier, she says health care has been one of the big topics she’s heard on the campaign trail.
“There’s a lot of folks who are concerned about the lack of access to family doctors and other health professionals in the region. Making sure that hospitals are consistently open, that you can get in and get treatment in a reasonable time. Climate change is another big one, we saw record wildfires last year and it impacted everyone right across the province including in this region, making sure kids can breathe the air in the summer days and play outside safely.”
Speaking with the Trending 55 Newsroom, Hoffman says she’s heard from many people in the Peace Region about the issues with finding family doctors.
“When I was health minister, in every major municipality in Alberta you could get a family doctor and that was by design. We worked very closely with doctors to make sure that they were respected. We sat down at the table and we struck a collective agreement and partnership with them. Something that both sides of the table could live with, that brought us lots of stability and an opportunity for great care across the province.”
Hoffman says she’s also heard about housing and a lack of new homes being built in the region.
The next leader of the NDP will be chosen in June after Rachel Notley announced that she was stepping down earlier this year.
You can listen to the full interview we did with Hoffman below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
