Wildrose leader Brian Jean added his voice to the call for localized health care. Last weekend, while in Red Deer for the party’s annual general meeting, Jean addressed the need for cardiac catheterization services in Central Alberta.
“I’m very concerned as is the entire Wildrose Party about our current state of health care, whether it’s here in Red Deer or Fort McMurray or Calgary,” said Jean.
“We just haven’t had enough attention spent by the government to find good health care and making sure that services are localized.”
But it wasn’t only health care that Jean addressed while in Red Deer.
“I do believe that the Wildrose will form government in 2018 or 2019 and I think in five or 10 years from now we’ll (Alberta) have a very bright and sunny outlook,” said Jean. “I think we’ll be competitive with the rest of North America and the world in relation to all of our tax systems. Right now we highest tax rate in Western Canada for businesses.”
Jean also touched on a potential merge with the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party.
“Ultimately it’s up to the members of the Wildrose Party whether or not they will accept a merge and I would hope it would be up to the members of the PC party to accept that as well. Right now the PC party is involved in a divisive internal battle and we will have to wait to see what happens,” said Jean.
The leader of the Wildrose Party admits to sharing some beliefs with the PC party.
“We think fiscal conservatism is the best approach for the people of Alberta, long term. That includes low taxes and good opportunities for great jobs,” said Jean.
Something he said the NDP isn’t offering Albertans. He said the NDP are bringing in a lot of ideological legislation to ultimately kill the economy and hurt Alberta families.
“That’s what I’m really concerned with,” he said. “Carbon tax is going to take $3 billion out of our economy and that ultimately comes from Albertans. It’s just money that’s going to the government to a slush fund where they can decide what to spend it on.”
Jean said carbon tax just adds to a long list of problems hurting Albertans.
“It’s all very frightening whether it’s the accelerating shut down of coal, the carbon tax, the minimum wage increase, when we already had the highest minimum wage after taxes in Canada, and all of their ideological attention to farm workers,” said Jean. “It’s pretty scary for Albertans because it’s at a time where we can least afford it.”
jonathan.guignard@www.reddeeradvocate.com