Rebecca Malo, Liberal Party of Canada

Personal details. Name, age, hometown

My name is Rebecca Malo. I am 45 years old. I grew up in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and have lived in Warman since 2002.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in Alberta in a single-parent family. After I finished school, I wanted to get away from my family and picked north as a good direction and moved to Yellowknife to get a job. I stayed there for eight years before the winters got to me. In 2002, my husband and I married and we moved to Warman to start a family.

I opened and ran a licensed daycare for 10 years and through a combination of formal education and workshops gained the skills to become the best parent I could be. Once my boys were school age, I felt the need to do more in the community. I joined the Warman Library Board and the Warman Housing Authority and am a member of the Warman Emergency Response Team. I went back to school and am currently in the process of getting my accounting degree from the U of S. I am so excited to be graduating this December!

What’s a little-known fact about you?

One of my career goals when I was a child was to be a taxi driver.

Why should voters hire you?

I was able to go back to school because of the money that I received from the Canada Child Benefit and the Skills Boost school support for older adults. With the federal election coming up, I realized that these programs were Liberal initiatives. What if these programs disappeared? Some political parties don’t support these programs. I didn’t think that was fair. I want everyone to have the same opportunity as me to recreate themselves. That’s why I decided to run as a Liberal candidate in the upcoming election.

My personal top priorities are health, education, and transportation.

Who should we call for a reference?

Sorry, but I can’t think of anyone who knows me well that would be willing to talk on the radio.

What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

My greatest strength is to be able to determine a new course of action and then follow through until a better course presents itself. My greatest weakness is faceblindness. I am horrible with remembering faces.

Where do you stand on:

Gun laws? I support the need for people to own guns for protection, collection, or hobby purposes. However, assault rifles are designed to kill mass numbers of people and should be outlawed. In consultation with RCMP and the police, certain regions have such high gun violence that handguns should be outlawed in those areas. While I have an FAC myself, I don’t own a gun but I understand the need for protection from wildlife, and hunting requirements.

The need for more pipelines? Oil is a desired commodity and is being extracted and sold; the question is a matter of transportation and market availability. Building an additional pipeline beside an existing pipeline to increase capacity is safer than shipping oil by train and would then free up trains to ship other products, such as grain. This additional pipeline should be done in a way that is respectful towards the land that it is being built upon and routed away from sensitive land areas such as water sources in consultation with landowners and reserve bands. Appropriate negotiated compensation should be provided to compensate landowners and reserves for the disturbance both now and into the future. Living in Warman I am extremely aware of the dangers of hazardous materials being shipped by train as we are a major transfer point. Train map attached. (http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-rail-map.html)

Western alienation? I’m sorry but I don’t have a personal position on this. I would have to research this further.

China? What should our approach be with some of our markets blocked? I’m sorry but I don’t have a personal position on this. I would have to research this further.

Are we facing a climate change crisis? Is carbon tax the answer? Yes, we are facing a climate change crisis. I spent eight years in Yellowknife and frequently hear news stories about how climate change is affecting the north with rising sea levels and warmer weather coupled with changing migration routes and fishing lanes. Putting a price on pollution is part of the answer but not enough. It will take several initiatives working together for Canada to do its part.

It’s a day off and you can do anything you want. What would it be?

Enjoy some Amazon kindle books, bake, cook a decent supper with all four food groups.

Who inspires you?

Justin Trudeau — in fact, most politicians and leaders. It’s scary to put yourself out there and state what you think should be done knowing that some people will disagree. Deciding on the greatest good for the greatest number is one of the most hated jobs out there.