Ward 8 Candidate Responses

We received responses from two candidates in this ward. The Calgary Climate Hub is a non-partisan organization, and posting these responses does not indicate an endorsement. Responses are presented in the order they were received and have not been edited.

General Questions

1. What are the top three issues you hope to make progress on during your time on Council?

Monique Auffrey Greening the city ( rooftop gardens, ensuring new builds are energy efficient and progressive, improving public transit availability, making bike lanes feel safer, ensuring that the city has policies that look at reducing the two largest sources of climate change; energy production and food and land use, Alberta is a world leader already in agritech and clean tech- lets keep supporting and augmenting these initiatives) crime prevention is another big priority area for me. The city spends approx 500M on policing, I am not in the "de-fund" the police camp- I'm in policing differently camp and I'm passionate about crime prevention and harm reduction (did you know that Alberta and Calgary have the highest rates of gender based violence/domestic violence per capita in the country? let's change that that stat and not just GBV but racism is violence)!!! The third area I'm interested in is our young people and keeping them as well as attracting others to the city to contribute to a thriving and sustainable future (so much here to do- re: housing as well)
Cornelia Wiebe Investing in Electric Vehicle charging stations and expanding infrastructure support for other modes of electric transportation. Work with Community Associations to foster deeper relationships with local residents and create a clear channel of communication to highlight community priorities and concerns with Ward councillors. Focus on business friendly policies to encourage economic growth and create employment opportunities.

 

2. Women - especially low-wage, racialized and newcomers - have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. In your capacity as a public servant, how will you address these impacts and ensure that all women benefit equitably from the economic recovery? 

Monique Auffrey I have 20 years experience working with marginalized women. Internationally recognized credentials are a huge issue for newcomer women- we collectively need to address this. We need to collectively "stop the demand" for certain areas of work that keep women (many of whom are racialized) exploited....sexual exploitation and human traffiking are a problem in our city- whether its for sex work or domestic services..... we have to be prepared to see it if we are going to work at fixing it. Advocating for a Basic Income so that women have the ability to live free from violence and be self sustaining, go to work, afford childcare, feed their children etc... Did you know that the majority of women in shelters in Calgary have predominantly racialized women and Indigenous women living off reserve? Affirmative Action Policies may not be derigeur anymore but policies are needed to ensure racilaized woman are given opportunities to advance. In all of my years as a social worker and a CEO there is not a single organization I've found myself in where I didn't witness racism in hiring practises and advancement- this needs to change..... This is not simply a "we need better training" this is a we need actual "actions". The Truth and Reconsiliation Calls to Action, The MIWG Calls to Action and the White Goose Flying Report give us examples of how we can move actions forward which we need to act on now. There is one recommendation (57) in the WGFR that simply asks for municipal public servants to receive training- this is an example of what we can do right away as we rebuild an inclusive and safe community for all.
Cornelia Wiebe As a public servant, I would connect with our community leaders to learn what specific barriers racialized women in low-wage employment face, to problem solve and work together to deliver solutions. As an entrepreneur, I think 'outside the box' and am unafraid to try new things. I believe that we can be a better, safer, more inclusive city. I further believe that electing more women to council will provide a new lens to assess these impacts and an alternate perspective to finding solutions in this area.

 

3. Calgary has been dipping into emergency funds to pay for operations for the past several years. How would you approach taxation and the delivery of programs and services to Calgarians?

Monique Auffrey According the budgeting process the city by law is supposed to approve a zero balance budget. In the absence of producing a zero balance budget and dipping into reserves is a clear statement that the city's funding model is outdated and needs to become more innovative and sustainable. There's more to talk about than taxes here....
Cornelia Wiebe Taxation is the means to pay for the operating budget of the city. My priority is to do a line item assessment of Administration costs to uncover efficiencies. We are aware of a recent example of a city employee earning approximately $100K in overtime pay last year. This is mis-management is inexcusable. Tax payers work hard for their money and it is incumbent upon city council to take every action possible to ensure accountability in this area. We need our core services and cannot compromise safety of citizens and employees in these areas. However, we must do our due diligence to ensure that tax dollars are being spent wisely.

 

4. What is your plan for diversifying Calgary’s economy for a just transition away from oil and gas?

Monique Auffrey Clean tech, agritech are just two examples of where Calgary has untapped fame and opportunity. We have an incredible talent pool here already. We have to retain and attract new industry..... Calgary has at times a "reputation problem".... that needs to change. We are progressive, we are innovative, we need to do better to be inclusive, accessible and a safe place to live. I don't have a plan!!! I have experience and a world view that will contribute meaningfully with the new mayor, city councillors and the people of Calgary. Collaboration and respectful dialogue are whats needed to advance the objectives at city hall.
Cornelia Wiebe We need to re-imagine what the Calgary of tomorrow looks like. There is tremendous talent and entrepreneurial spirit in this city. I know this because I am an entrepreneur. However, the widely held view of Calgary is tied to oil and gas and politics. Calgary need to re-brand and de-couple from this image. We need to promote the high quality of life available to our residents as well as the high level talent that exists here. If we can renew our image and show that Calgary is an investible and affordable market, we will see private investment and in turn, a strong economy. Ensuring that business friendly policies are a priority at council will demonstrate that we take seriously the prosperity of our city and its citizens.

Climate Change and the Environment

Questions:

1. Will you commit to setting clear interim targets for Calgary and ENMAX to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 to help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

2. Will you work to reduce emissions from buildings to net-zero by (1) ensuring The City's Sustainable Building Policy has clear targets, is transparent, and requires third-party certification, and (2) by providing incentives for privately-owned new buildings and retrofits?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe I support this reduction however, I would require further clarification on these points to be in full agreement.

 

3. Will you support policies to ensure zero food waste not only from Calgary's restaurants, groceries, distributors, but also corporate events?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

4. Will you strengthen the City's procurement policies to ensure goods and services are sustainably and ethically sourced? The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply states that sustainable procurement "considers the impact of environmental, economic and social factors along with price and quality."

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

5. Do you support focusing new development within established areas instead of continuing to approve new developments on the outskirts of Calgary?

Monique Auffrey  
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

6. Will you support completion of the Green Line, including crossing the river to 16 Avenue N?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

7. Do you commit to providing equal access to low-cost, low-carbon transportation to all areas of the city, including transit, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

Equity and Inclusion

1. Which of the following measures will you support to address poverty and social isolation in our city?

  1. Affordable housing
  2. Low-income transit pass
  3. Fair Entry recreation pass
  4. Increased access to childcare
  5. Increased financial support to community associations
  6. Enough for All Poverty Reduction Strategy
  7. Other
  1 2 3 4 5 6 Other
Monique Auffrey Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Harm Reduction
Cornelia Wiebe Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes   I support Enough for All Poverty Reduction strategy however I believe that some areas fall under provincial jurisdiction. I support actionable items in this area at the Municipal level. I will also champion any necessary joint partnership support with the province.

 

2. Do you support providing City services primarily through unionized City workers, or do you support contracting out City services to private companies?

  1. Maintain unionized City workers
  2. Contract out
  3. Other
  1 2 Other
Monique Auffrey Yes    
Cornelia Wiebe     I support unionized city workers. However, there may be opportunity to deliver services to Calgarians via private companies. My support would be assessed in each specific case.

 

3. Would you support Fair Trade Calgary's initiative to make Calgary a globally-designated Fair Trade town? (Find out more at: http://www.fairtradecalgary.com/at-a-glance.html)

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe Yes

 

4. Do you support Universal Basic Income?

Monique Auffrey Yes
Cornelia Wiebe  

Diversity & Reconciliation

1. What is your plan to address the increase in hate crimes and overt displays of racism in our city?

Monique Auffrey This is not new!!! Hate crimes, racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia.... We absolutely need to confront this in our city- all of the above are examples of violence. You cannot focus on one without focussing on them all. Violence against "other" is rooted in fear, intolerance, ignorance etc... as a community and as a society we need to first admit we have a problem in this regard..... The "not in my backyard" applied to people who turn their backs on friends/family/neighbours with poor mental health and addictions as well.... This is happening everywhere in our city. The municipality of Calgary's largest expenditures are on it's people. We need to focus on good quality of life factors- good financial mental health for all. People right now are scared.... for all sorts of reasons stemming from the economy, climate change, health in general and the obvious impacts of Covid.... We need to re-assure people we are here for them, we are listening and that the policies we advance as a city are being to done for (list ) the reasons..... Calgary is a richly resources city, we have some of the lowest residential property taxes in the country, Calgarians already love "nature and it's resouces"..... We need to step away from fear mongering and stop with a scarcity mentality- before its too late ...... Invest in people and the environment.
Cornelia Wiebe It is imperative that hate crimes and displays of racism are met with a firm stand of intolerance. We can - and must - work together as citizens to call this out and stand united. I firmly believe that we find solutions when we collaborate with community leaders and organizations. The city has put together a committee of such leaders to evaluate this area and determine actionable solutions. I believe that this committee will provide a key to moving forward in this area.

 

2. How will you support policies to ensure more Indigenous voices are included in making municipal decisions?

Monique Auffrey At a candiates' forum a prospective mayoral candidate disrespected and "appropriated" from an Indigenous Council candidate in the forum..... We need to do more than pay lip service to our "presentations of being ready for change".... we actually have to give up some of our own power in order for this to be authentic. False platitudes on equity will get us no where.... we need to elect Indigenous people.....people with lived experience, visible and non visible minorities........ Consult with Indigenous groups.... Support and fund Indigenous groups
Cornelia Wiebe I will support policies to ensure more Indigenous voices are included in municipal decisions through collaboration in the Indigenous community. We need to ask the questions and allow for conversation to fully determine any gaps that may present. It starts with asking for participation and providing meaningful opportunity to engage.

 

3. What steps will you support to increase trust and reduce uses of force by police that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Calgary? (Please use "other" for additional ideas.)

  1. Enthocultural training for police
  2. Increase number of Aboriginal Liaison Officers
  3. Alternative response models (PACT and DOAP teams)
  4. Other
  1 2 3 Other
Monique Auffrey Yes Yes Yes Training for CPS and civilians.... increase mobile crisis teams!!! Many times CPS are called to deal with mental health issues.... this is not to say we haven't witnessed disproportiate numbers of racialized people being mistreated by police- BUT the issues with police forces (CPS in our context) is STRUCTURAL racism! We see it in health care all the time! We see it in education, we see it in child welfare..... If we focus on only one system we ignore the others...
Cornelia Wiebe       These are all important areas to support. As there is ongoing work in this area to put a plan in place through committees, I would support the recommendations from this work.

 

Mental Health & Addictions

1. Which of the following do you support to address mental health and addictions?

  1. Implement alternative emergency response models
  2. Implement trauma-informed care
  3. Supervised consumption sites
  4. Other
  1 2 3 Other
Monique Auffrey Yes Yes Yes  Everyone in community practise is already implementing trauma informed care. This is about prevention. We need more focus on prevention and harm reduction. My daughter and I lost her best friend to an accidental opiate overdose in March. She was 19 and a young mother. She lived in the Beltine... My ward. This issue is very close to me. There is so much more we can do
Cornelia Wiebe       I support these initiatives to support and address mental health and addictions however, health care is provincial jurisdiction and requires a partnership to deliver best outcomes in this area.

 

General Comments

Do you have any other comments you would like to share with us?

Monique Auffrey My hope is that we can start to think more critically about the issues as a whole. These are complex and deeply personal issues for all of us. While some Calgarians are going to be more or less impacted by some or all of the issues- each and every Calgarian cares about their quality of life, the health and well being of their family/friends. We've been divided. It's time for us to come together again and find our "common ground". Find what brings us together not what tears us apart and change the narrative to a strengths based approach.... we all want good jobs and a roof over our heads- we want the planet to survive-how we get there depends on the leadership of city council and its public servants....Oct 18th and beyond. We are a world class city. I'm excited about what we can accomplish together!
Cornelia Wiebe There were several questions in the survey that require partnerships with the province that I would work hard to deliver on. Additionally, one question remained unanswered as it is a Federal Government program. Over the past 10 years, my business has been working with and promoting companies that support fair wages, safe employment, zero waste practices and transparent supply chain.

 

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This survey was sent out to mayoral and ward councillor candidates throughout July and was developed in collaboration with the following organizations: