Red Deer mayor and local MLAs hopeful with Smith as new Alberta premier

“That’s the message that I heard from membership and I believe it’s the message that I’ve heard from right across the province from everyday Albertans,” says LaGrange.

LaGrange hopes to see the party’s new leader, Danielle Smith, focus on party unity moving forward with the best interests of Albertans in mind.

“I’d like to see her tackle some of the issues that we have been tackling and move them forward, particularly healthcare,” she explains. “We do have a healthcare crisis on our hands in this province and we need to address that. I know locally we’ve seen some really serious issues come forward and I’d like to see more attention given to Red Deer in particular, in this particular area.”

With the next provincial election slated for May 2023, LaGrange says the UCP needs to remain a competent government and be unified if they wish to be re-elected.

“That’s what we heard from Albertans right across the province, is work together for the common good. I believe if we are able to do those two things, provide competent government as well as be unified, we will do extremely well in 2023.”

Red Deer-South MLA, Jason Stephan, says he’s very excited about the results and what Danielle Smith might be able to accomplish in the coming months as Alberta’s new premier.

“I think change can be really good, and I appreciate the good things that the former premier did,” says Stephan. “Danielle has her own strengths and talents to contribute for the good of Alberta and I’m really excited to see her be able to have this opportunity to serve and I’m excited about supporting her in it.”

Stephan hopes to see Alberta become more self-reliant under Smith’s leadership.

“To take things into its own hands more and that will increase freedom and prosperity for Albertans, so I’m excited to see that happen,” he explains. “And continue to grow the economy in Alberta.”

Like LaGrange, Stephan admits he too was encouraged by the amount of engagement shown by party membership in the leadership campaign.

“The more people that vote, the better the outcome,” says Stephan. “I know that Red Deer-South and Red Deer in general was well represented actually in terms of the number of people who did vote in this leadership race, and that’s a great thing.”

In advance of the next provincial election in May, Stephan says the UCP needs to offer a vision of hope to Albertans if they wish to remain government.

“We need to articulate a principled vision. We need to show how a United Conservative Party government will increase the freedom and prosperity for Albertans, relative to the other alternatives.”

Meantime, Red Deer mayor Ken Johnston says he looks forward to working with Smith and her team in the coming months as it pertains to Red Deer’s priorities.

“Obviously they are our hospital, our shelter, the justice centre, some of the practical issues that we’ve been dealing with from that perspective, and also, certainly the housing needs of our community,” he explains.

Johnston describes Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre for example, as currently besieged and dysfunctional, noting a letter recently received from Alberta Infrastructure that reveals further consultations are planned to find out what’s best for local patients.

“That’s not a reflection on the staff there or the doctors there, or the support staff and so on,” says Johnston. “But I was extraordinarily disappointed in that they still find it necessary to consult and find out what’s best for patients and so forth, so I’m hoping that Premier Smith will take this file with her respective either Health or Infrastructure ministers and accelerate it.”

“That’s what our council asks for and that’s what our community asks for, is to accelerate and deliver on the promise that was made to us. But my goodness, please show us what the vision is for the hospital and how and when shovels are going to be in the ground. That’s what we want. We don’t want to do any more studies. We don’t want to do anymore consultations,” he says firmly.

In terms of a permanent shelter for Red Deer, Johnston hopes to avoid any more lag time if new ministers are appointed in the near future.

“We get the mechanics of it but this is an urgent need in the community,” states Johnston. “We’ve done the consultation with the community and so forth, so we’re hoping for continuity on that file so we don’t have a repetition on matters that have already been discussed with the ministers. My concern is that we don’t lose any time in moving that project forward.”

Johnston adds he’s also hoping for more dialogue with Premier Smith on issues such as affordable housing and a proposed provincial police force.

by Sheldon Spackman and Alessia Proietti

Red Deer mayor and local MLAs hopeful with Smith as new Alberta premier

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