AIRDRIE, Alta — Rajan Sawhney, an MLA and cabinet minister for the United Conservative Party (UCP), announced her candidacy in the upcoming UCP leadership race during a stop in Airdrie on June 13 alongside her campaign chair, Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt.
Sawhney is an MLA for Calgary-Northeast and was the government's most recent minister of transportation – a position she had to resign from in order to enter the UCP leadership race.
Born and raised in Calgary, Sawhney has a background in economics and business, and worked in the energy sector prior to being elected to government.
“I’m running as a leader of the UCP party because it’s time to move forward. I’m running as a leader of Alberta because it’s time to move our province forward. I’m running because it’s time to move our families forward,” Sawhney said during her announcement speech on June 13, at the Toad ‘n’ Turtle Pubhouse and Grill in Airdrie.
Angela Pitt, the MLA for Airdrie-East – who has been outspoken in her criticisms of Kenney's leadership in the last year – will be the chair of Sawhney’s campaign.
Speaking to those in attendance, Sawhney cited rural emergency services as a priority of hers, noting the struggles many rural communities are currently facing with ambulance wait times.
Sawhney said that her experience working in rural areas of Alberta has gained her support from those living in rural communities.
“When I get out there and people who don’t know me, they get a chance to hear my story and [they] understand,” Sawhney said.
She also said the UCP should not be run by an “elite group” but believes that by creating a culture of collaboration and inclusion, she will be to complete more projects in Alberta.
“Our party should be a party of Albertans, for Albertans,” Sawhney said. “We need to listen to the voices of Albertans, not the elite few.”
One of the major projects Sawhney hopes to complete is an inquiry into the COVID-19 response by the current Alberta government.
“A government led by me will launch an open, independent, and transparent investigation into COVID responses,” she said.
In light of COVID-19, Sawhney also mentioned the mental health challenges Albertans are facing right now and she made mental health a priority, especially for young children.
“I want to lead my party to increase the quality of life for all Albertans,” Sawhney said, adding that mental health is a major component of one’s quality of life.
“I’ve really sat down and spent a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve learned and what Alberta needs to move forward in a post-pandemic environment,” she added.
As a mother, Sawhney said she is able to understand the need for education and a curriculum review, which she announced she would do with the help of teachers and students.
When asked how Sawhney would unite the UCP, she said that being open and inclusive to all members of the caucus would be her method.
“We need more collaboration and we need more inclusion…we have to be open,” Sawhney said.
“My deep desire to serve Albertans, to improve the quality of their life, it just comes together into a package that I feel would be the most suited for leadership.”
Sawhney is the seventh candidate to announce her bid for the UCP leadership, following the announcement in May by Jason Kenney that he would step down, after he had received 51 per cent of the vote during a leadership review. Though he said he would step down as the UCP's leader, Kenney continues to lead the party in an interim capacity until a new leader is determined.
Others who have joined the race to take over include former Wildrose Party leaders Brian Jean and Danielle Smith, fellow UCP MLAs Travis Toews and Leela Aheer, independent (formerly UCP) MLA Todd Loewen, and Village of Amisk mayor Bill Rock. Calgary-Shaw UCP MLA Rebecca Schulz also revealed her candidacy on June 13, with plans to make a formal announcement tomorrow.
