United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney says his party is “committed” to expanding the Red Deer Regional Hospital.

Kenney stressed the party’s commitment during a campaign stop in Red Deer on Saturday afternoon.

The “Red Deer Hospital would absolutely be on our health care infrastructure list and we would proceed forward with that as soon as possible,” Kenney said.

Kenney said the NDP’s “political interference” is the reason the Red Deer Regional Hospital was taken off the priority structures list.

“When it comes to determining what are the key health infrastructure priorities, that should be done in a non-political way,” he said.

It should be “based on the local needs, the age of the hospital, the pressure on that local hospital. We would de-politicize, get the politics out of this and make an objective assessment about which of Alberta’s hospitals have to come first on the list.”

Kenney first met with media at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery and then held a rally in north Red Deer.

Red Deer North UCP candidate Adriana LaGrange and Red Deer South UCP candidate Jason Stephan attended the rally.

Kenney also announced a plan to “strengthen Alberta’s position in Canada’s federation” while in Red Deer.

“We are by far the biggest contributor to the federation. We have always played by the rules, paid our taxes, and produced wealth for other Canadians.

“But in the middle of our prolonged economic crisis, we are under assault from other governments in Canada,” he said.

The plan, in the party’s words, features nine points:

• Equalization reform;
• Fairness in the fiscal stabilization fund;
• Convert the Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer to tax points for the provinces;
• Stop the Trudeau-Notley payroll tax hike;
• Fairness in employment insurance;
• Exempt Alberta from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. stress test;
• Create pre-approved, guaranteed land corridors for Canadian products to each market;
• Full trade and economic mobility;
• Create an Alberta parole board.

“It’s time for Alberta to be a leader in the federation,” said Kenney. “United Conservatives have a vision and a strategy to stand up for this great province, so that we are masters in our own home, and renew our pride as members of the Canadian family.”

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sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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