Calgary-Shaw MLA Rebecca Schulz enters UCP leadership race
Calgary-Shaw MLA Rebecca Schulz has entered the race to become the next United Conservative Party leader.
Schulz, who stepped down as minister of children's services to enter the leadership race, made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday, telling reporters she is focused on "uniting our party and defeating the NDP in the next provincial election."
"I’m proud and grateful to be part of such an amazing team, a team I know will want to work together to accomplish this goal," she said.
Calling Alberta a "place of hope and opportunity," Schulz said as leader of the party, she will "fight to defend our Constitutional rights in this country."
"We cannot let Ottawa call the shots, stifle economic growth, trample on our freedoms and the entrepreneurial spirit of the hardworking women and men who built this province and are still building it today."
"Right now things in Alberta are looking up," she said.
"Unemployment is down, jobs are up, we are growing more diverse every single day. From oil and gas, to tech and manufacturing, agriculture and film, we have an amazing story to tell. Our government has done some really great things and our economic plan is working, but we cannot take out eye off the ball."
Minister of Community and Social Services Jason Luan will serve as acting minister of children's services.
Schulz was first elected in 2019.
Six other candidates were registered with Elections Alberta as of June 14: Travis Toews, Brian Jean, Danielle Smith, Todd Loewen, Bill Rock and Leela Aheer.
Newly resigned transportation minister Rajan Sawhney launched her campaign on Monday.
UCP voters will be able to cast their ballot at five polling stations across the province on Oct. 6.
As well, mail-in ballots will be sent out Sept. 2 and must be returned by Oct. 3.
Among the requirements of candidates this year is a $150,000 entrance fee, which can be paid in stages, a $25,000 refundable compliance deposit, and a nomination petition with at least 1,000 signatures from party members. That list must include 200 from each of the party's regions.
The entry fee is twice what was required in 2017 for the party's first leadership contest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate jail: lawyer
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.