Dig In! Beyond the Mudslinging
Policies Every Albertan Should Care About Ahead of the Provincial Election
May 9, 2023
12 to 1:15 p.m. MT
Zoom Webinar
On May 29, 2023, Albertans will elect a new provincial government. Although recent conversations have focused more on leadership personas and qualities – mostly centred around the resignation of Jason Kenney and the appointment of Danielle Smith as premier last year – elections are built on party platforms and the policies that make them up.
On May 9, join a panel of University Calgary alumni and policy experts for a discussion of the issues facing Albertans today, including health care, resource diversification and education. Learn how certain election outcomes may affect you and dig in to find other ways to get involved aside from simply casting your vote at the polls this May.
About the Speakers
Evan Legate, BA‘10
Evan Legate is a public affairs professional located in Calgary. Currently, Legate is the executive director of the Resource Diversification Council, an association of industry and association leaders who share a mutual interest in advancing Alberta’s resource value-added sector. Prior to this role, Legate was a partner at a leading national public affairs and communications firm. He is well-versed in the Alberta political landscape, having spent time working in the Alberta Legislature as an assistant to the Minister of Energy, as well as working in various senior roles for PC Alberta, including as their executive director. Legate has also managed political campaigns at the provincial and municipal level.
Amity Quinn
Dr. Amity Quinn, PhD, is a health economist specializing in health-system transformation and working collaboratively with health-system partners. Her research focuses on policies that are designed to improve health-system sustainability and the health and health care of people with complex health and social needs. She has a PhD in social policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and completed a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship in health economics at UCalgary. Quinn is a senior research associate in the Department of Medicine and at the O’Brien Institute for Public Health’s Centre for Health Policy at UCalgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, and is the co-director of the Health Policy Trials Unit within the Centre for Health Policy.
Nicole Schmidt
Nicole Schmidt is currently completing her term as president of the University of Calgary Students’ Union. She is in the Faculty of Arts, pursuing dual undergraduate degrees in political science and international relations. Schmidt also recently completed a civil litigation internship with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where she worked to provide research on topics including free speech, education equity, racial justice and economic issues. As a co-op student, Schmidt worked at UCalgary’s Office of Leadership and Student Engagement where she recruited volunteers, facilitated student programming and worked collaboratively with not-for-profit organizations in Calgary.
About the Moderator
Akash Asif, BSc’15, BComm’15, MPP’18
As strategy and operations director at the Centre for Suicide Prevention, Akash Asif helps identify and engage new and current audiences in the organization’s mission to reduce stigma and increase awareness of suicide-prevention training and education. He is a member of the UCalgary Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, where he provides feedback to help ensure the association is meeting the needs of members while also supporting university priorities. Asif also acts as board chair for The Doorway, an organization that supports young people on the street in Calgary choosing to rejoin society.
About Dig In!
The UCalgary Alumni Dig In! series lets you “dig in” to the most important and interesting topics of the day while also “digging in” to some food over the breakfast or lunch hour! Join us for unique and interactive discussions examining hot topics, trends and more.