The Calgary lawyer calls himself ‘an precise centrist’ on the political spectrum.
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With Brian Thiessen coming into as one other mayor hopeful, the 2025 race already has a number of gamers vying for metropolis council’s lead seat.
A managing companion at a regulation agency, Thiessen can be a former chair of the Calgary police fee, has served on the Ronald McDonald Home Charities Alberta board of administrators and was acknowledged as Calgary’s citizen of the yr in 2020.
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“In all of these organizations, folks work from throughout the political spectrum for the nice of the group, whether or not it’s a charity (or) a enterprise,” Thiessen mentioned in an interview Monday afternoon.
He desires to do the identical factor at Calgary metropolis council, which “appears to be 15 people firing in several instructions,” he mentioned. “None of them are speaking or working collectively.
“The very first thing that we have to change at metropolis corridor is (to get) them targeted on sensible options, prioritizing key points like public security, housing and transit.”
Thiessen pointed to research round downtown security, and mentioned “I feel we now have to cease finding out and begin an implementation technique.”
He additionally acknowledged that some Calgarians really feel ignored by metropolis council.
“After I hear folks talking at metropolis corridor about their issues, there’s a stage of frustration,” he mentioned. “We have to talk higher with folks.”
Although the general public gained’t agree on each situation, “feeling like your voice was heard, that metropolis council amended their place based mostly on the issues that folks elevate on completely different points, is a fairly essential piece of the democratic puzzle.”
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Thiessen calls himself “an precise centrist” on the political spectrum.
“I really consider that there are nice concepts from throughout the political spectrum, and I don’t assume anyone get together has cornered the market on good concepts,” Thiessen mentioned, noting that he’s a former president of the provincial Alberta Occasion, a centrist different.
“I’m an enormous believer in being fiscally accountable and socially average, and in order that’s why I say I’m an precise centrist.”
Thiessen believes there’s all the time widespread floor on the precise and left.
“I’m skilled at sitting in rooms and hammering out offers to seek out that widespread floor. I don’t say it idealistically, I say it from 30 years of sensible expertise.”
A number of candidates have come ahead
With Calgary’s municipal election set for October subsequent yr, candidates are surfacing early in hopes of changing incumbent mayor Jyoti Gondek, who has but to announce if she’ll run once more.
One political scientist says it has been traditionally very troublesome to defeat an incumbent mayor in Calgary — it final occurred in 1980.
The 2021 municipal election had an “open seat” after then-mayor Naheed Nenshi took his hat out of the ring, which Mount Royal College professor Duane Bratt says performed a task within the variety of candidates that ran.
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“A yr out from 2025, we’re already getting some which are publicly introduced, some which are clearly leaning towards going ahead,” mentioned Bratt.
He mentioned that signifies candidates might imagine Gondek gained’t run once more.
“Or they consider that she is so susceptible that she may be defeated regardless of incumbency,” Bratt mentioned.
Lori Williams, one other political scientist and affiliate professor at Mount Royal College, mentioned Gondek has confronted quite a lot of criticism, together with a recall marketing campaign.
“I feel quite a lot of people are her probabilities of successful and even working and pondering there’s a gap for them,” Williams mentioned.
Former councillor Jeff Davison, who ran towards Gondek in 2021 and got here in third, introduced his intention to run once more earlier this month. Jeromy Farkas, who had the second most votes after Gondek in 2021, has but to enter his identify for 2025.
Davison mentioned beforehand his platform will deal with affordability, public security and infrastructure, the centrepiece being a promise to freeze municipal property taxes at 2025 ranges for 4 years.
Thiessen was essential of the tax freeze proposal, calling it a “very simplistic” promise that doesn’t bear in mind the complexity of metropolis corridor or if emergencies come up.
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A corporation Thiessen chairs known as Calgary Act Now has a “finances planning train” that residents can participate in, making “laborious decisions”.
Thiessen claims that would supply a extra understanding and perspective of Calgarians’ priorities.
“If that comes again and everybody says, ‘You understand what, I don’t care about fireplace, public security, all I care about is a zero tax improve’, then we’ll have heard Calgarians, and we’ll amend our positions to mirror Calgary’s priorities.”
Municipal political events make election ‘tremendously difficult’
Thus far, not one of the candidates with intention to run in 2025 have introduced affiliation with a celebration.
One get together has surfaced, A Higher Calgary Occasion, nevertheless it has not but introduced any candidates.
The provincial authorities outlined particulars of the brand new guidelines for native political events final week, amongst different marketing campaign adjustments for municipal elections.
Bratt mentioned the 2025 election is “tremendously difficult” in comparison with these in years previous.
“All of the adjustments the Alberta authorities has made, financing adjustments that’s going to permit more cash in and particularly the involvement of get together techniques,” he mentioned. “We don’t know what influence that’s going to have, as a result of we’ve by no means seen it earlier than.”
Affiliation with events on the municipal stage might assist candidates, or it might damage them, says Williams.
“Prior to now, individuals who have been part of a slate haven’t been significantly profitable, however the distinction this time round is there’s a monetary benefit to folks which are related to a celebration,” she mentioned.
— With information from Scott Strasser
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