Michelle Baer is seeking the Alberta NDP nomination for Red Deer-South. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

"time for change"

City Solicitor seeking Red Deer-South nomination for Alberta NDP

May 4, 2022 | 4:03 PM

The City of Red Deer’s top legal advisor announced Wednesday she is seeking the NDP nomination in the provincial constituency of Red Deer-South.

The constituency has been held by the UCP and MLA Jason Stephan, also a lawyer, since 2019.

From a downtown restaurant, Michelle Baer, City Solicitor, plus Manager of Legal and Legislative Services, said simply that it’s time for change, noting that health care and education are paramount to her.

She lamented the actions of Stephan, but also of Red Deer-North MLA and Education Minister Adriana Lagrange, who Baer said has forged ahead on a curriculum that the vast majority of teachers have voted against. She said the UCP’s curriculum focuses too much on remembering dates instead of critical thinking.

“Hot tubs on Parliament Hill happen when kids don’t learn critical thinking skills,” she said, referring to recent protests in Ottawa. “It will be hard, but I think we can win it.”

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Baer emphasized that her nomination is about professionalism, kindness, intelligence and integrity, adding that she’d prefer not to get caught up in mudslinging.

On hers and Stephan’s career paths being similar, Baer said she can’t speak for Stephan’s approach to politics, but noted that her diverse professional background is an asset.

“I’ve worked everywhere from family and community support services to within local government,” she says. “Working as City solicitor for 10 years gives you a crash course in politics and government, probably as good as you’re going to get outside of being an elected official already.”

Baer has a BA and Law Degree, and studied primarily at the University of Saskatchewan.

Baer added that come the provincial election, voters shouldn’t forget about Stephan’s much publicized trip to Arizona in late 2020 when the rest of Albertans were told to stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NDP have only ever won Red Deer-South, as it’s been since 1986 — Barb Miller won in 2015. The same is the case for Red Deer-North, taken by Kim Schreiner in 2015. Both were retaken by the UCP in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Red Deer-South NDP Constituency Association says there is no timeline on a vote by the membership to determine who the candidate will be in the next election. More nominees are welcome to come forward.

To vote in the eventual election of a candidate, one must become a member of the Alberta NDP, they added.

The provincial election is scheduled for next spring, though with the UCP leadership vote coming to a close soon, and the possibility of the writ being dropped early, the association says if no one else comes forward for the candidacy, then time for others could run out.

The City says until a provincial election is called, Baer is permitted to remain in her position with The City. If elected, policy says she would have to resign.