Candidates for the Foothills riding aren't wasting any time on the campaign trail as the 20th of September quickly approaches.

John Barlow, incumbent Foothills Conservative MP, is busy with his re-election campaign.

He says now is not necessarily the time for an election with business owners trying to recover and parents prepping for the start of school.

"I think that shows a lot about the prime minister, that this is about him. This is about him taking advantage of a situation where again there could be a low voter turnout, and it's all about him getting his majority back, not necessarily what's best for Canadians right now."

He's been hearing complaints from constituents about the current government, and he welcomes this election as an opportunity for change, especially where finances are concerned.

"We've got a prime minister now who's added more to the deficit and debt of Canada than every other prime minister in history combined. That is staggering. And we've got more than a trillion-dollar debt. We have to figure that out. We have to have some fiscal responsibility."

For those out west, the drought and the impact on the agriculture sector will be front of mind, says Barlow.

"Agriculture, energy, rural connectivity, rural crime, and supports for small business, those will be the key issues for sure for me locally.

"We need to get people back to work. We need to get these businesses back up and running, and we need to get our economy back on its feet."

Barlow says there will certainly be questions regarding how the current government handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been some programs that everyone initially supported but that he now feels need to be reassessed from a financial standpoint.

"These programs cannot continue long-term. That's not what they’re there for."

Barlow thinks Canadians will take a good, hard look at how the current government handled the COVID response, but that the main question will focus more on the future.

"I think the more important question is, do I trust a liberal government with the economic future and the recovery? I think that's really the ballot question here is, do you trust obviously a prime minister that's been proven guilty of ethics violations, been corrupt, has been incompetent in many ways, do you trust that government to carry the load for Canada's economic recovery? That should be the ballot question, and I think the question is easy to answer.

"I think it's not necessarily a look back, but a look forward. And what do you see as the future of this country? And who do you want at the helm of that steering Canada's future?"

More information on John Barlow and the Conservative Party of Canada can be found on his website.

 

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