UCP leadership candidate Jason Kenney visits Strathmore
By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor
Miriam Ostermann Photo
Jason Kenney, who entered the race along with former Alberta Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean and dark horse candidate Doug Schweitzer, spent an hour in Strathmore discussing education, the NDP, the party’s unification, the oil and gas industry, the economy and the federal government.
While all three candidates’ platforms appear similar on major issues – minimize spending, business-friendly approaches and tax cuts – Kenney directed the spotlight on his federal cabinet experience and take-charge attitude.
“If we come to office in 2019 we’re going to inherit a mess, and we will need a premier who will bring together a strong principled – frankly courageous – team of effective people to undo the damage of the NDP, from the economy to education, to restore investor confidence where there’s a total loss of it … and balance this budget and start paying down debt,” Kenney said at the Calgary Stockyards Strathmore location on Oct. 22.
“Most importantly, we will need a strong premier who has the clarity of convictions, strength and skills to stand up and fight for this province and defend our economic interests against the growing attacks from Justin Trudeau and his government. I feel ready for that role. I almost feel like I’ve been preparing for it my whole life.”
Kenney isn’t the first leadership candidate to stop the campaign bus in Strathmore. Earlier this month, on Oct. 5, Brian Jean also held a meet and greet at the Strathmore Station Restaurant & Pub and Schweitzer took some time out of his schedule to visit Strathmore on Oct. 24.
In the past, Jean and Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt campaigned together whenever in the town and even took the bulls by the horns during the Running with the Bulls event in 2015. Yet Fildebrandt’s been vocal about his support for Kenney and hosted the meet and greet last weekend.
“I was elected to the Wildrose Party in 2015 and I supported Brian Jean for the leadership at that time and I believed he was the best man at the time,” he said. “I’ve known Jason and he’s a true conservative. He’s not going to campaign by the polls, he will campaign by his convictions. Likely he’s going to say something that you might occasionally disagree with, but he actually believes in what he says and that is a rare trait among politicians. We would not have a United Conservative Party of Alberta today if not for Jason.”
Kenney arrived in Alberta 25 years ago and helped start the Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF). He joined the Harper government and made his mark as the longest-serving minster of citizenship and immigration, took on the role of minister of employment and later became the minister of national defence. Recently his energy was spent on helping unify the Conservative Party and the Wildrose Party, which merged into the United Conservative Party in July.
“As long as we were fighting each other on the same scarce resources, voters and volunteers, we were giving the NDP exactly what they wanted – the only pathway to their re-election – and I could see nothing that would justify that,” Kenney said.
“I said, somebody has to step up here as a disruptive force to create a grassroots movement that is a voice and a vehicle for ordinary Albertans who do not want to risk the future of our province to long-term socialism, but want to bury the hatchet focus on the future instead of getting stuck in the past, and want to put the province and the people ahead of any political party.
“Because of unity, if we stay humble and work hard and earn every vote, what unity means is that this debt quadrupling tax-raising, job-killing, accidental socialist government is one and done.”
Kenney received a standing ovation by over 100 people who attended the event. UCP members have a chance to cast their votes from Thursday through to Saturday evening. Election date for the UCP leadership is Oct. 28.