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Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek held a town hall meeting with residents of Drumheller on Tuesday evening, February 28, drawing a full audience to the Town of Drumheller council chambers.
This was the third town hall meeting MP Kurek held on Tuesday, having held town hall meetings in Three Hills and Morrin in the morning and afternoon respectively; there were some 40 people in attendance at the Drumheller town hall meeting.
“This is meant to be a dialogue,” MP Kurek shared during his opening remarks. “I want to leave the proverbial door open so we can continue this conversation, because it didn’t start when I walked in and it shouldn’t end when I leave.”
During his opening remarks, MP Kurek explained his role as a member of the opposition and making sure the voices of all Canadians-especially those in rural areas-are heard, and the rural-urban divide he has seen first-hand.
He spoke of his role as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development, a role to which he was recently appointed in November 2022 at the suggestion of newly elected party leader Pierre Poilievre.
MP Kurek also discussed his role as a member of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which he explained “does a lot of boring stuff,” but is “the furthest thing from boring” during scandals.
He noted he was a member of the committee during the WE Charity scandal, and the committee played a role in stopping over $900 million “going to a friend of the Prime Minister,” and more recently dealt with Minister of International Trade Mary Ng’s awarding of a contract to a friend.
Following his opening remarks, MP Kurek opened the floor to the gallery.
Topics ranged from loss of government trust at a federal level, Canada’s role in energy and supplying foreign countries with natural gas resources, controversies surrounding the World Economic Forum and World Health Organization, and the current scandal regarding possible interference in the 2021 federal election.
Some audience members also brought up concerns about the Drumheller flood mitigation project and the impact it has had on the community. They also noted there has been no remittance from the federal government for repayment to the Town for work which has already been done on several berm projects throughout the valley.
“The federal government made a commitment, and they need to honour that,” MP Kurek said. He added this is something he has been in discussions with Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg and Town council, along with the federal government, and is hopeful there will be some “good news soon.”
MP Kurek thanked those who attended the town hall and expressed his appreciation for the towns of Drumheller and Three Hills, and Starland County for allowing him to hold these town hall meetings, and the hospitality he experienced during each of these stops. He also encouraged residents to reach out to his office with any questions he could not answer during the meeting, or with any issues pertaining to the federal government such as passport wait times.
The House of Commons resumed on Monday, March 6.
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