LAKELAND - Less than two weeks are left for registered United Conservative Party (UCP) of Alberta members to decide who the new leader of the party will be.
On Sept. 2, mail-in ballots will begin rolling out for the thousands of registered party members who will not only select the new UCP leader but also the premier of the province during an election on Oct. 6. The leadership election saw 123,915 UCP party members register for the vote this fall "more than doubling the close to 60,000 members" that registered during Premier Jason Kenny's confidence vote last May said party officials.
“Alberta’s Conservative movement is incredibly strong, and these numbers prove it,” said Cynthia Moore, president of the United Conservative Party. “We’ve experienced massive growth in every riding in the province and it’s put us on a solid footing heading into the next election.”
With seven candidates vying for the top job in the province, hopefuls are travelling the province and working to garner support.
Over the weekend, former Minister of Children’s Services and MLA for Calgary-Shaw Rebecca Schulz made a pit stop in Lac La Biche to meet with locals. Schulz, who stepped down from her minister role in June to run for party leader, says this election is about representing all Albertans from every corner.
Schulz says the party and province need a conservative leader that is not only looking at retaining the conservative power during the 31st Alberta general election scheduled for the spring of 2023, but for the next decade to come.
“I think right now, we don’t need what we’ve already seen. We don’t need somebody who’s going to get us through the next election. We need a leader that can take us into the next ten years of our conservative party. Someone that can get conservative supporters excited again and that comes with a vision of the future that is focused on years of economic growth, jobs and prosperity,” said Schulz, during her stop in Lac La Biche.
For the handful of locals who attended the meet and greet held at the Fat Unicorn on Saturday afternoon, meeting candidates who are not only willing to listen to local issues, converse with residents and make a commitment to represent Lac La Biche is what this election is all about, said one lifelong conservative voter, who asked to remain anonymous.
Area concerns
The two-hour-long meet and greet included concerns about health care, affordability, conserving parks, the economy and the energy sector, which Schulz admits is similar to what she’s heard from many Albertans on the campaign trail.
“People want to see, yes, a conservative government lead us through this next period of economic growth, a leader who can stand up and defend Alberta’s constitutional rights, who will defend our energy industry and our economy. Also, (there’s) a lot about health care and affordability, which are issues that are top of mind for Albertans across the province.”
However, one of the larger concerns that was expressed by many of the attendees was allowing municipalities to make more decisions without having to routinely consult with higher levels of government. A concern that Schulz says is a priority for her moving forward, and if elected leader.
“For me, it is very important to hear from Albertans right across the province but also our municipal partners. Our municipal partners are going to be key in addressing some of the biggest challenges we face as a province, and so those relationships are absolutely important,” Schulz told Lakeland This Week.
“One of the things I’ve heard a lot is that we need more local decision making in health care. We don’t need any more reports, or committees, or reviews but really just listening to the front line and using common sense when making decisions.”
Candidates
Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche UCP MLA Brian Jean is also on the ballot, along with former Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith.
Multiple former UCP MLA cabinet ministers have stepped down from their roles this summer to be eligible to join the race, including former Minister of Finance Travis Toews, and former Minister of Transportation Rajan Sawhney.
Chestermere-Rocky View UCP MLA Leela Aheer and ousted UCP MLA and Independent representative of Central Peace-Notley Todd Lowen have added their names to the ballot too.
Smith is scheduled to visit Lac La Biche on Aug. 31 at the Fat Unicorn, which is owned by County of Lac La Biche Mayor Paul Reutov. A time has not been confirmed for the visit.
New leadership
While Schulz says she’s proud to see all the candidates put their names forward, ultimately the party needs fresh ideas with a leader who is willing to listen and act.
“It's good to see so many people step up and put their name forward in this race. I think that people in northern Alberta… want to feel heard.”
She added, “I would say for those who have already made up their minds and maybe are supporting a local candidate, I would be happy to have their second votes. But you know, I still thought it was important for me to show up and hear from people and I know not a lot of the other leadership candidates have been up here.”
