Progressive Conservative leadership hopeful Jim Prentice says he can restore Albertans’ confidence in the government because of his position as a party outsider.
Prentice was in Westlock last Friday afternoon as part of a tour to the three major urban centres in the Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock riding, where he spoke with the Westlock News about some of his priorities.
He emphasized first and foremost his five priorities for the province as a whole — fiscal responsibility, restoring trust in the government, getting Alberta’s products to global markets, managing the environment and improving overall quality of life.
On the first two issues, he pointed to his record during the time he spent in Stephen Harper’s government of being a fiscally responsible leader.
“I was a federal minister for five years and there wasn’t 10 cents of controversy surrounding me all the time I was in federal government,” he said. “People know that and know my reputation for being honest and straightforward, and that’s what they want to see.”
If elected he would have a smaller cabinet, one based on merit and integrity, which would go a long way toward restoring Albertans’ trust in the government.
Prentice also pointed to his time in the federal government as evidence he knows how to work with a big group to get things done.
In terms of quality of life, he said the health-care system needs some changes made, especially with respect to the recent centralization which he said has had a negative impact on rural communities like Westlock.
The specific change he said he would like to see is restoring the Alberta Health Services board and having the 13 health advisory groups throughout the province answer to the minister instead of AHS.
“We’re going to take them and change the mandate so that they will provide input on the quality of healthcare that’s being provided in the 13 regions of the province,” he said.
In regards specific local issues, Prentice said the big ones in Westlock and elsewhere is the need to build more seniors housing. It’s not being built fast enough, he said, and there needs to be changes to the Alberta Supportive Living Initiative grant as well as more partnerships.
“I’m advocating more partnerships with communities of faith and also with rural communities to build more facilities to get caught up,” he said. “I know that’s of importance here in Westlock.”
When asked about the fact the Pembina Lodge expansion has been sitting mostly vacant since it was completed two years ago, he had little to say.
“That’s a separate issue, because you need people in it,” he said, without elaborating further.
Another major priority in Westlock and elsewhere in northern Alberta is the quality of the roads, which he said have deteriorated significantly in his lifetime.
The leadership vote is scheduled for Sept. 6, with the second ballot, if needed, on Sept. 20.
