Wainwright oilfield trucker, Matthew (Matt) Powell, is running as an independent in the Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright riding in the upcoming Alberta general election on May 29. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Matt Powell is politically untethered.
The 44-year-old long-time Wainwright resident and trucker is running as an independent candidate in the Alberta provincial election on May 29.
“As an independent, I can speak freely, sharing the concerns of the people I will represent,” states Powell on his campaign profile.
He dropped by the Meridian Source on Monday to introduce himself and fully explain what he offers the electorate as an independent in the Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright riding.
Powell and his wife are raising three children in Wainwright where he owns Strong Boy Trucking Inc., providing winch truck services with a pilot car in Alberta, Saskatchewan and beyond.
“Mostly it’s rig moving and heavy equipment,” he said.
He says what motivated him to seek election started over concerns about bylaws that were happening around Wainwright and have spread across Alberta.
Powell fears there’s a growing overreach of government powers in municipalities made possible through practices written into the Municipal Government Act.
“It is an over-extension of the abilities that a municipality or a town should have access to,” said Powell, citing bylaws about land rights, as an example.
“They’ll have the ability to restrict anything you want to do on your own property and they’ll have more say than you for anything else you want to try to do in the community,” he said.
Powell says when you need to get a permit to plant a tree, you may need an environmental assessment depending on the location, and pay a professional to do it.
“It’s just getting ridiculous, the level of powers they are getting,” said Powell.
He says the electorate is also irked to see the government create a revenue source from it when we already pay enough in taxes.
“There’s a lot of interest in the issue because we don’t want any more laws,” said Powell.
“We have people right now running around breaking into houses, drug abuse problems; we have a lot of crime.”
Powell wants to know why the province is wasting resources penalizing law-abiding citizens on bylaws while criminals go about their business with impunity.
He also says every riding in Alberta needs someone who is going to speak out for them.
“We are seeing a lot of motions they push forward with the United Conservative Party that aren’t necessarily conservative in value,” he added.
He doesn’t want to hitch his wagon to any party fearing they are too restrictive.
“Basically, once you’re elected into a major party, they have a set level of direction, so you can’t represent your people. You have to stay within their bounds,” said Powell.
He found that out a few years after talking with the former Freedom Conservative Party about running as a candidate.
His current campaign strategy is just to let people know they will get full representation from him if elected to the Legislature.
“The people I am beholden to are the people that elect me,” said Powell.
“It doesn’t matter what party you are with, my office is open to everybody. It isn’t about me, it isn’t about a specific group of people; it’s about everybody within this area.”
Powell says being an independent is tough since Elections Alberta won’t allow independents to announce they are officially running until the Writ drops.
“You can’t put signs up, because mine don’t even come in until today,” said Powell.
“It looks like I am coming in on the last seat, when in all reality, I was the first one to register.”
Powell says getting name recognition with media interviews is his best bet given the short campaign and his job.
“I am somewhat busy right now trying to keep my truck running. With spring break-up ending, I am ready to go out,” he said.
