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're going to rebuild': Indigenous communities look to recover from devastating wildfires
The East Prairie Métis Settlement is one of several Indigenous communities that were hard-hit by the recent wildfires in Alberta. As the wildfire season rages on, residents and community officials are looking among the ruins, pondering how they’ll recover from all the losses.

Blue Jays pitcher 'truly sorry' for sharing anti-LGBTQ2S+ video
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass said he is 'truly sorry' for sharing a controversial anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on Instagram.
O'Toole says CSIS told him he was focus of Chinese misinformation, suppression effort
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Alberta Premier Smith wants to 'reset' federal-provincial relationship while eyeing sovereignty act
Fresh off leading Alberta's United Conservative Party to a majority victory on Monday night, Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to 'reset' her relationship with the federal government, while readying to invoke the province's sovereignty act over emissions targets, if needed.
Low sexual satisfaction linked to memory decline later in life: study
Low sexual satisfaction in middle age could be linked to future memory decline, according to a new study.
New study finds Canadian women are more likely to adhere to social and democratic values than men
New data from the General Social Survey by Statistics Canada examined values across different Canadian demographics and found that Canadian women are more likely to closely adhere to most social and democratic values than Canadian men.
Over half of Canadians say the city or town they live in has become noisier: poll
A new survey conducted by Research Co. reveals that over half of Canadians experience more noise in their city or town than they did last year.
U.S. officer shoots at truck driver near N.B. border crossing
Traffic is back up and running through the border crossing between Woodstock, N.B., and Houlton, Maine, after a security scare Monday.
Debt limit deal heads to vote in full House while McCarthy scrambles for GOP approval
Under fire from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked furiously Tuesday to sell fellow Republicans on the debt ceiling and budget deal he negotiated with President Joe Biden and win approval in time to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.