By Ryan Barlow
Carl Svoboda has been a resident of the Calgary-Varsity constituency since 1975. He is currently retired, after a 32-year stint in the oil industry as an engineer and manager.
Svoboda holds degrees in chemical engineering from Gonzaga University and archaeology from the University of Calgary.
He hopes to address the challenge of sustainability in a world that “assumes unlimited economic growth to be both desirable and possible.” Svoboda believes the problems of climate change and environmental deterioration are symptoms of this attitude.
Svoboda says he will ensure long-term consequences of proposed policies are evaluated, and will not make decisions based on if he is going to win the next election or not. He says that his years in the business world have taught him to be a practical problem solver, working harmoniously with others and compromising when necessary to achieve objectives.
“I would like to reduce the interests of business in our system– to reduce the reliance of corporate funding for universities. The present government believes that certain faculties are more useful. This is to the detriment of the attention the arts and humanities deserves.”
The EverGreen platform on post-secondary includes implementing a tuition price freeze on all Alberta post-secondary institutions and investigating a province-wide plan to address the rising costs of tuition.
“One thing that really impressed me about the University of Calgary was how tough it is for a lot of students. Students would work 15 to 20 hours a week while going to school,” said Svoboda. “You hear stories about frivolous young people but I didn’t encounter that. The students seem to be much more dedicated than when I went [to university] for the first time.”
Voting takes place on April 23. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you reside in Varsity, you can vote at 300 Lounge Varsity Courts, 3735 32 Avenue NW. To be able to vote, you must be 18 years or older on election day, be a Canadian citizen and must have had Albertan residency for six months immediately proceeding the election.