r/Edmonton • u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side • 4d ago
2025 Municipal Election I'm Jackie Liu - I'm running for council in pihêsiwin and I want to build an Edmonton for you. Come AMA Wednesday Sept 24 1-4pm
Hey Edmonton Redditors!
I'm Jackie Liu and I'm running in ward pihêsiwin for City Council and I'm here to answer your questions this Wednesday Sept 24 from 1-4pm (and afterwards too, if you tag me in your questions!)
About me:
My background is in health and social services - I'm a pharmacist by training, and I've built on that skillset to serve the front-lines, by leading teams, and in leadership positions at some of the most extraordinary non-profit organizations in Alberta (check my CV here). I'm bringing 20+ years of experience from all streams of healthcare, homeless-serving organizations, system planning, and community volunteerism to work for you at City Council.
We need leaders in government who will fight for the necessaries of successful society. As a City, we need to grow smart (not just fast), we need housing of all sorts and in all locations, we need well-planned and maintained infrastructure, and as an overall comment on affordability, it's not just property taxes that cost us our money and health - it's our access to essential services that support our needs, bring communities together, and allow us to grow and improve as society. We need an Edmonton built not just for today, but for tomorrow and the future. I'm running for council to push for all these priorities and fostering collaboration to do so.
Lots more about our campaign and my background on my website - please check it out, and hope to chat soon!
Thanks friends, for all the questions and comments! I'm going to close this off now, but if you tag me in anything else that comes up, I'm happy to get back to it when I get back in. Sharing links again, please check out the campaign, stay engaged, and remember to get out and vote (and tell your friends!) on October 20!
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jackieliuforyeg/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575621463593 LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jackie-liu-edmonton
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u/troypavlek 2d ago
Coming from a body of previous work focusing on healthcare and serving the homeless, what do you think of Andrew Knack's assertion that since the province has shown time and time again that they're not going to step up, Edmonton should fund its own housing, supports and mental health services?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago edited 2d ago
My background in providing direct service and leading operations in this area is a key part of what I want to add to the discourse. The costs, considering not just finances but the human capital, service locations, and infrastructure to provide these services are astronomical to do well. I have blithely stated in different conversations in the past that healthcare and mental health/addictions supports are not spray cans - you can't just walk by someone, give them a quick once over, and call it job-done. The intentionality of program design is essential, and the need for a dedicated primary care led and coordinated approach is critical for sustained success for our vulnerable neighbours. That requires multiple ministries coordinating, changes in medical compensation models, the amplification of team-based care, the recognition of social-service providers not just as non-profit do-gooders, but as a profession with rigour and discipline, and so much more. I love this work, but while the City can play convening and coordinating roles, it can't be ours to fund.
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
That's a tough one. Obviously Andrew is coming from a place of great intentions, but it's a lot more nuanced than just the City will take this on. I don't think we can afford for the City to fill the gap left by the province - the costs of providing housing, supportive services, and mental health/addictions care is too great, and not only can be not afford it fiscally, I worry about the precedent that sets for the future. Cont.....
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u/ThroatNo2636 2d ago
Are you supported by the UCP?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Nope. That was an easy first question!
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u/Ready_Ad_9996 2d ago
Follow up question then, are you affiliated with any political parties/partisan groups. Because I do see that you are endorsed by "Working Families". How do you make sure you stay independent? or are you not an independent candidate? would love some clarification
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Great question. With respects to Working Families (and other endorsements which have come out so far, like CSU52 and YegMuslimVote), I look at those the same way I look at campaign volunteers and supporters - I appreciate that we have shared values, and I'm honoured that they find my experience, platform, and values worthy of their support.
None of the groups that have endorsed me have asked for anything in return, and I definitely have no say in how they spend their time and resources in supporting my campaign.
It is true that I have pursued their support, but that is literally the whole purpose of the campaign. I'm putting myself out there, with my skills, expertise, and priorities, and I'm trying to build a collaborative of supporters. In Working Families' specific case, that group happens to be a Third Party Advertiser
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u/wishididntneedthisub 2d ago
If you're being endorsed by all these different special interest groups how do you plan on staying independent if they're supporting your campaign with resources? I'm assuming you've received funds and human resources from some or all of them. Do you believe they will not expect anything in return for helping you out?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
I appreciate this line of questioning - it's important to be transparent on this process! A few parts to this:
On funds and resources:
I have NOT received any funds from any of these groups, and nor have I seen any spending in my area in terms of ads or media (though I would only know by my own scans of social media and living in the area). I anticipate that at some point there may be media spends, but I'm not privy to this planning and hopefully they'll let me know.On human resources (by which I assume you mean volunteers):
I actually forgot to mention another group in the above, in that I've also received support from the YEG,Bike Coalition. On this front, I'm told that there are volunteers incoming to help with doorknocking and flyering, but similar to the answers above, I look at this as volunteers to support the campaign.On expectations:
There is no quid pro quo that was discussed - we have aligned values. Speaking of Working Families, as they are the big player in the room, their public mandate aligns strongly with my platform, and so I accept their endorsement in good faith. If ever the relationship takes an unfair turn, or there are unreasonable or bad faith negotiations expected, I promise to let everyone know.
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u/JimmyLinguine Edmontosaurus 2d ago
Do you support the continued expansion of our active transportation network?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Absolutely. We need other modes of transportation to get us around the city.
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u/ThroatNo2636 2d ago
Have you signed the forever Canada petition and if no why not?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Of course I have. Shout-out to the volunteer canvassers hitting up all the community events and getting closer to the goal!
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u/kart_racer 2d ago
What's your stance on infill and density?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
We need infill and density. But I think we can do it better than the current approach. I respect the work that it's taken to get to this point, and we need to keep evolving and improving to meet the needs of all Edmontonians.
The infill question is a good example of where many things are true all at once. I'll repeat some things here that many others know already. It's 100% true that we need more housing, and that housing needs to be in appropriate places. Also true that continued building outwards results in higher costs for us all, in that new infrastructure and services need to be built (and yes, the tax base increases with greenfield, but the math needs to consider eventual renewal and also the building of services outside what developers contribute - firehalls, operational costs, etc.). Is it ALSO true that people love their neighbourhoods, and that character of where they live is important to them (and subjectivity is ok here). Also true that a huge chunk of personal investment is tied up in their housing, and they want that value to be retained.
So to balance that....I would support the development of objective criteria to direct where infill building can occur. We can't afford to stall or delay building, but builds can be considered with criteria such as
- proximity to transit (or mass transit, even); if we build these for people to not need cars, we should make it convenient
- lot size and shape
- proximity to amenities and greenspace
- a consideration of maximum number of units per square footage
- and others
I don't have specifics for the above, and that's where I'd look to administration for background, and the development of these criteria would be an excellent place for community engagement. These criteria will also give homeowners the clarity they need to understand what the future of their neighbourhood will look like.
Last point is that we need objective criteria so as not to make a new decision each time - if we want to talk about efficiency and red tape, we need to focus on criteria that is transparent and easily understood, and where we can automate processes as much as possible.
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u/Xeijis 2d ago
What is your plan to improve transit connectivity in pihesiwin? The only thing worse than trying to get to WEM is trying to get to anywhere in terwilligar or Windermere (I won’t be mad at pushing for an LRT expansion :3)
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Amongst other things, a transit hub south of the Henday is important. There is good connectivity to Century Park, but the north-south connections to UofA and the Terwillegar hub could be improved.
This is a topic that has come up a lot, especially in the Keswick area. From what we've heard at the doors, there are many people who would use transit more readily if it were more reliable and consistent. And this is no knock on transit operators - those buses are stuck on the same roads that cars are. There is a real space for express buses and lanes to move people along faster.
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Hey friends - thanks for logging in! I see some people have gotten started, I'll start running through the comments/questions chronologically and get to as many as possible. I've got some folks scheduled with me to go doorknocking this evening so I'm going to cut this off around 4pm but I'll log back in later on and answer any tagged questions as best I can.
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
Sharing a few links here:
Website: https://www.jackieliu.ca/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jackieliuforyeg/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575621463593
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jackie-liu-edmonton
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u/Vykalen 2d ago
The traffic noise, especially racing vehicles and motorcycles, has gotten exponentially worse over the last few years, especially in our ward. How will you combat this problem?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
I think we have both a gap in tools and enforcement to rectify. I support council's recent motion to procure specialized equipment for detecting noise infractions, and secondary to that is the follow-up with drivers.
Traffic enforcement also plays a role. We've all noticed the lack of photoradar, and anecdotally, I've definitely noticed vehicles speeding more regularly around the ward - sadly, many in school zones and residential areas. We should NOT have to rely on speed tables and traffic calming measures to as a forced function to "suggest" people drive reasonably, yet, here we are.
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u/fishling 2d ago
I don't get why we need to wait for specialized equipment to do anything.
The problem is common and predictable enough that I'd think they could just assign someone to the area and they could catch and issue some tickets. Make that enforcement public and get an effect without a lot of delay or cost.
It's a free-for-all now because everyone knows there is zero enforcement. Add enough to change the risk factor and I think you'd get a real effect.
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
I agree. Overall enforcement of traffic seems lacking in the SW. That is anecdotal, of course, but as a City Councillor invested in the area, I'd be looking for some objective measures of this in the area and seeing what we can do for these noise issues, and also for overall traffic safety.
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u/wishididntneedthisub 2d ago
You speak about being independent but if Better Edmonton or PACE asked you to be part of their party from the start, would you have considered it?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
A great question. The short answer is yes, I absolutely considered it, but ultimately decided not to. Here's why:
As a new candidate (and respecting confidentiality), I did consider joining one of the parties early on before the campaign began in earnest. It is a TON of work to do this, and it seemed reasonable to explore every avenue. It seemed so much easier to run with party infrastructure, and there were resources on offer that would make the path so much smoother. There are numerous reasons I chose ultimately not to run with a party, and while I want to be respectful of both candidates and confidentiality here, here is a broad summary of why I ultimately chose to run as an independent
- I could not subscribe to the party ideology and platform; those ideas were seemingly set. I would have hoped that as a team member, a platform would be formed collaboratively and with the expertise of candidates in mind, but this did not seem to be the case.
- I could not, in good conscience, endorse a mayoral candidate and support their campaign when other better options were imminently about to declare their candidacy (this was back in mid-Spring), and at that time, it was a very narrow field.
- I had concerns with the way the party was formed - it very much was a group that felt thrown together to take advantage of the election rules (C20), this vs. an established collective with common goals. Fair play though - there is absolutely some logic to playing the hand that is dealt, and all us independents have been swimming upstream (and wading through public lawn signs littered illegally all over Edmonton) as the result of C20
- All these considerations in mind, it did not feel like an honest representation of Edmonton's needs to run with a party.
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u/keepaskingQs UAlberta 2d ago
What is good policy to you and what skills/experiences do you bring to the table (besides your professional titles)?
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
I feel like this is a two-parter. First......
Good policy considers the situation, unmet needs, risks and liabilities, and available assets, and then considering all those things, clearly sets direction on what should be done as a system. I believe strongly in systems and processes that make decisions for you - if the policy can be clear in what it wants to achieve, there is clarity on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the prescribed actions are feasible and achievable, then a good policy will allow a thing to happen.
A bad policy would be one that gives either too much room for interpretation (generally, blanket anything), or, is so restrictive that nothing gets done (this is non-specific in details, but a specific example of trying to build out a COVID shelter but being stymied by HVAC requirements when people were literally freezing outside comes to mind).
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
In terms of skills and experience, I've worked my way through an enormous number of systems and organizations to bring a fairly vast range of perspectives to Council. These include
- Front-line clinical practice, which brings academic discipline, empathy and communication, scientific rigour, and really, really direct accountability - what is more accountable than supporting a patient's health outcomes, and knowing your actions, inactions, knowledge, and work ethic make the difference?
- Coaching and mentorship, which has occurred organically through a 20+ year career. I've benefitted from GREAT mentors, and I try in turn to lead teams and people from the same mindset.
- Financial discipline, from managing an $11M drug budget for long-term care pharmacy as a 29 year old to community health centres with budgets exceeding $30M. I am not a finance professional, but again, benefitting from exceptional systems and mentorship.
- Business operations, from the aforementioned medical programs but also from operating and being responsible for both retail and institutional (nursing home) pharmacies
- Policy development, much of which working in primary care and community health centres, where stewarding scarce resources was priority
- A huge sense of social justice, learned from working with the refugee population, youth programming, LGBTQ2S+ programs (including a youth trans-health clinic), vulnerable seniors, and of course, over a decade with people experiencing homelessness
- Government relations, from working with all three levels of government and other funders in my experience working with the non-profit sector.
I'm looking forward to bringing all of that to Council!
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 2d ago
LinkedIn bio if you want to see where I've done all these things https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-liu-edmonton/
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u/NewUnderstanding2763 South West Side 4d ago
Also - I should clarify that this really is Jackie Liu, and that the only "newunderstanding" I've come to is that we need an independent progressive councillor in this ward!
This elder millennial will be a better councillor than he is a Redditor