Nominations for the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party Leadership don’t close until this Friday, but Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec has already declared her support.
Maureen Kubinec said last Friday, May 23, that she believes former federal environment minister Jim Prentice is the right man for the job.
“I did some research on his background and philosophy, and I’ve also had some long conversations with him on the phone,” she said. “In my conversation what cemented it is I think he’s got the integrity and the humility that’s necessary.”
As of press time, Prentice is one of three contenders for the party’s leadership, along with current labour minister Thomas Lukaszuk and recently resigned transportation minister Ric McIver.
“I have a lot of respect for both of them, and they both bring strengths to the table,” she said. “They’re both bright men and hard-working, but I honestly think Jim Prentice is the right person for the leadership of this province.”
Kubinec cited specific examples of Prentice’s fiscal prudence and responsibility with taxpayer dollars as being strong deciding factors — he declined a government credit card when he was a minister, and insisted on furnishing his office with his own money.
She said those gestures go a long way in showing this is a man who respects public coffers.
Some of his statements at his official leadership launch in Edmonton May 21, also had an effect.
“I went to his launch Wednesday morning and I was very impressed with his speech. He said that MLAs are public servants, and we have to have that mindset,” Kubinec said.
And as for the perceived “culture of entitlement” criticism that has been leveled at the government PC party over the past several years, she said it was by no means an issue right across the board.
“Certainly if there was a culture of entitlement, it was not everybody,” Kubinec said.
“Many of my colleagues are honest, frugal, humble people.”
The leadership race has taken a very different tone than the 2011 race that saw Alison Redford become premier and the 2006 race that gave the province premier Ed Stelmach.
For one thing, there are fewer candidates currently declared — although more could announce their intentions this week.
Kubinec said she believes changes at the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta have made it palatable only for the most serious candidates — whereas previous races have required about $15,000 in non-refundable fees, this time candidates will have to put up $50,000.
“That’s non-refundable, so really serious candidates are the only ones who are going to run,” she said.
As for the fact no women have declared their candidacy, Kubinec said she’s not surprised given the current political climate.
“It’s probably not surprising with the political climate at this point, and what we all just went through,” she said.
Kubinec described a prevalent belief — which she does not necessarily adhere to — that Redford has a much tougher time of things because she was a woman, even though some of the contentious issues like flights on government planes happened under her male predecessors as well.
While she was hesitant to, Kubinec said there remain challenges for women in politics even though women were formally recognized as persons under Canadian law nearly a century ago.
“We have come a long way, but with any cultural shift, it doesn’t happen overnight,” the MLA said.
“We’re along a spectrum, and we’re nicely along, but we have a little ways to go yet.”
