The top concerns for the NDP candidate in the St. Albert-Edmonton riding are workers and mental-health issues.
Kathleen Mpulubusi said she hopes her second shot at a seat in Parliament will be successful, and that this election will spark conversations about what residents want to see in communities as the country moves forward through the pandemic.
“The pandemic has really brought forth a lot of reckonings, like particularly on race, on work, and the nature of work, what jobs are essential jobs. I really think we have a real opportunity to really make things better,” she said.
The long-time North Edmonton resident has been a letter carrier for 18 years; prior to that Mpulubusi was a teacher. She is also a union representative with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and on the executive board of the Edmonton District Labour Council.
Mpulubusi is passionate about nature and the outdoors. She lobbied against the provincial government’s plan to de-list Riverlot 56.
The union rep decided to run in this election because she thinks it is time for change and she doesn’t feel like her progressive values are being represented federally. Many Conservative MPs take the provincial support for granted and don't feel they have to work that hard for Albertans, Mpulubusi said.
When it comes to workers, Mpulubusi said the New Democratic Party platform is about “we."
“We want to make sure that workers and just everyday people are not left behind. We've seen, with the pandemic, a lot of issues come up within our health-care system, elder care, and with jobs … seeing which jobs are really the essential jobs,” she said.
Other issues she would fight for are making sure people in the riding get affordable child-care programs, and pharmaceutical and dental care; reconciliation; and educating people on discrimination.
Mpulubusi said she also wants to focus on the transition in the energy sector to green energy. She said oil and gas aren't going away and she wants to ensure those workers can be retrained and not left behind as the world moves toward greener energy.
Funding homeless shelters and food banks are also important to Mpulubusi, who said she supports the building of social infrastructure.
