Chair of the Business Department at Lakeland College Ben Acquaye has announced that he will be seeking a nomination for the United Conservative Party for the Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright riding.
“I see that a lot of people believe and I share that belief that they are hungry for new ideas, new leadership and a new way of doing our politics. That is what motivates me to want to join this race to win and hopefully change a few things,” says Acquaye.
He says the UCP has its own stance on things like the carbon tax, but in addition to that, he would like to focus on mental health.
“I think we have a huge mental health issue and I want to see every person in school from grade one right up to students in colleges receive one form or the other of mental health resilience training. I think it would be great for us as a society.”
Acquaye also believes strongly in education because of his background. In particular training in agriculture as a way to help diversify the economy.
“I want to see a lot more emphasis on skills training, especially in agriculture. I believe that if we can train and equip a lot of folks with some potential training, especially in applied technology. We will have a great workforce, which would help the economy when it goes through some challenging times.”
Acquaye will be joining four other people in the race for the UCP nomination. He says what sets him apart is his knowledge and communication skills.
“My knowledge of the issues is quite detailed and I have a masters in business and economics from the [United Kingdom]. I have worked in the industry and I have also taught. I’m very confident about the issues.”
Acquaye will join Eileen Taylor, Darrel Howell, Danny Hozack and Garth Rowswell in contesting for a nomination for the UCP in the Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright riding.