Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Doug Horner says Alberta has to stop making decisions based on just dollars and cents.
Horner, one of six leadership hopefuls vying to take over Alberta’s governing party in September, said there is conflict within the PC party around the decision-making process.
“(Albertans) want us to stop making decisions based on just the dollars and they want us to start making decisions through the lens of our values and principles,” said Horner, 50, who was the Ponoka Stampede on Wednesday, after visiting Red Deer and Sylvan Lake on Tuesday to meet with supporters.
“If you value, let’s take rural schools as an example, you may have pay a little more, you may have to do things differently. But if you just base it on the dollar then you’re not going to give any more to any particular thing regardless of the value.”
“I think we’re making too many decisions based on solely the dollar.”
Horner was elected for his third term as MLA for Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert in the last election and served as deputy minister, minister of advanced education and technology, and minister liaison to the Canadian Forces.
He also has some ideas on how to improve Alberta health care.
“The problem that Albertans have with their health care system is access. If we get rid of the ‘whites of the eyes rule’ with doctors, which means they don’t get paid until they see the whites of your eyes, I think we’d be able to increase access to patients.”
Other health care professionals should also be able to work to their fullest capacity, he said.
“Registered nurses train to 70 per cent of the scope of practice of a family physician so why aren’t we using that.”
Alberta doesn’t have to go down the privately funded, privately delivered, road for health care, Horner said.
“I’m not in favour of a privately-funded, privately-delivered health care system as an exchange for our publicly-funded system. If we change the structure, we can actually save our publicly-funded system.”
The other five candidates vying for the Conservative leadership are Doug Griffiths, Gary Mar, Ted Morton, Rick Orman and Alison Redford.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com