Chris Austin – daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics and Elections

Liberals drop candidate in Sturgeon River-Parkland

A Facebook post of disallowed Liberal candidate Chris Austin.

The federal Liberal Party appears to have cancelled the candidacy of Chris Austin, who was nominated as the party’s candidate in Sturgeon River-Parkland on September 7, 2015.

According to a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Austin was disallowed because of something he has said in the past on social media. Mr. Austin said in the post that he plans to run as an Independent candidate in the riding instead.

Mr. Austin ran as the Liberal candidate in the now-defunct Edmonton-Spruce Grove riding in the 2008 and 2011 federal elections, earning 11.5 percent and 9.3 percent of the vote in those races. He was also the provincial Liberal candidate in the Spruce Grove-St. Albert constituency in the 2012 election.

His departure brings the Liberals back down to 33 nominated candidates in Alberta. A new nomination meeting has been scheduled for September 17, 2015, where the Liberals are expected to acclaim candidate Travis Dueck.

Other candidates running in Sturgeon River-Parkland include Conservative Rona Ambrose, Green Brendon Green, New Democrat Guy Desforges and Christian Heritage candidate Ernest Chauvet.

Federal candidate update from Alberta – 41 days until election day

With forty-one long days left until the October 19, 2015 federal election, here are the latest candidate nomination updates from Alberta:

Liberal Party

Beatrice Ghettuba won a contested nomination against lawyer Don Padget to become the Liberal candidate in the St. Albert – Edmonton riding. Ms. Ghettuba is a Chartered Professional Accountant and chairperson of Edmonton’s Africa Centre.
Chris Austin was nominated as the Liberal candidate in Sturgeon River-Parkland. Mr. Austin ran as the Liberal candidate in the now-defunct Edmonton-Spruce Grove riding in the 2008 and 2011 federal elections, earning 11.5 percent and 9.3 percent of the vote in those races. He was also the provincial Liberal candidate in the Spruce Grove-St. Albert constituency in the 2012 election.
Chandra Kastern is the Liberal candidate in the Red Deer-Mountain View riding. Ms. Kastern is the Executive Director at the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra.
Mac Alexander will be chosen as the Liberal candidate in the Bow River riding at a meeting tonight in Chestermere. Mr. Alexander is listed online has having served as Vice-President of the University of Calgary Liberal club from 2014-2015.
After Mr. Alexander’s nomination today in Bow River, the Liberals will only be short one candidate in Alberta – in the Calgary-Nose Hill riding.

New Democratic Party

UFCW 401 activist Saba Mossagizi was chosen as the New Democratic Party candidate in Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, becoming her party’s 34th and final candidate to be nominated in Alberta. Ms. Mossagizi ran for the provincial NDP in the Vermilion-Lloydminster constituency in the recent provincial election. She earned 19.4 percent of the vote and placed third in that race.

Green Party

Lac La Biche resident Brian Deheer is the Green Party candidate in the Fort McMurray-Cold Lake riding. Mr. Deheer is General Manager of the Students’ Association of Portage College and chairperson of the Athabasca Watershed Council.
Simon Oleny is the Green Party candidate in the Red Deer-Mountain View riding.
Les Kuzyk is the Green Party candidate in the Red Deer-Lacombe riding.

Independents

Mebreate Deres is running as an Independent candidate in the Edmonton-Manning riding. Her Facebook page lists her as the executive director of the Lasting Impact Families in Edmonton Society.