The first person to announce his intention to run for the NDP nomination in the new provincial riding of Airdrie-Cochrane is 29 year old Steven Durrell of Cochrane.  

Durrell is a father of three with strong family roots in the town.  He`s a former student of Bow Valley High School and graduated from the Juno Beach Academy of Canadian Studies.  He`s also participated in the Kings Own Calgary Regiment Cadet Corps.

Durrell is a veteran manager of previous NDP campaigns but this is his first stab at candidacy.  Durrell explains the reason he`s running to become the NDP nominee in the riding.

"I feel that they best reflect the values that I hold that are important to me, specifically in social rights and labour rights.  I'm a unionist and I find that their focus on those issues is what is important to me, and it's what is important to them, and because of our alignment on those I felt it was appropriate to run with them."

Durrell also believes Alberta's recent economic woes can't be ignored during the campaign.  "There's no denying right now we're facing some issues with oil prices dropping.  I feel that the NDP have handled our economy in the best possible way they could have at this point in time."

For Airdrie-Cochrane specifically, Durrell wants to see the supports that the NDP has offered to small businesses continue.

"Like the one-third tax cut that we saw the NDP bring in in 2017.  Supports for small businesses are particularly critical.  Small business is a huge part of our local economy, they are the largest portion of private employers in the province and I would like to continue to see support for them."

He also believes infrastructure issues, like one that's long been outstanding in the Cochrane area, are important for the riding.

"I'd also like to see continued support for infrastructure upgrading like the 1A (highway) interchange in Cochrane that has been a longstanding issue."

Durrell says he and the NDP are fearful of the United Conservative Party coming to power in the 2019 provincial election.  He believes the UCP will make too many cuts to much needed and valuable programs.

"Things like healthcare and education.  They're talking about 20 percent cuts across the board.  We've heard some of their nomination canddiates in their debate meetings talking about how those cuts would hurt.  We can't afford those cuts to those critical services that the people of Alberta need.  Those services are important to us. We need healthcare standards, education standards, disability assistance standards like AISH (Alberta Income for the Severely Handicapped) to continue to be held at the current service levels or better.  We can't afford those cuts." 

Thus far, Durrell is the only candidate running for the nomination.  The NDP will name their nominee in the Airdrie-Cochrane riding at a Nomination Meeting set for January 31st at 7:00 pm at the Frank Willis Hall in Cochrane.  

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