Doug Schweitzer will not run to be UCP leader or seek re-election
Alberta cabinet minister Doug Schweitzer announced Monday evening he would not seek the United Conservative Party's top job or run for re-election.
While he was "humbled" to receive support for a bid to become leader of the UCP, in a statement on Twitter, Schweitzer said he would not run for the position.
"I was honoured to be elected as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow," Schweitzer said, adding he would finish his term to ensure "continuity and stability."
Schweitzer led the late Jim Prentice's leadership campaign and was later one of three finalists in the UCP's first leadership race in 2017, finishing last behind Premier Jason Kenney and former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean.
After being elected in 2019, Schweitzer served as justice minister and became the Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation after a cabinet shuffle in the summer of 2020.
"After eight years (of government involvement), I am looking forward to spending more time with my family," he added. "I could not have served our province so diligently without their immense sacrifice and support."
Schweitzer said his priority was always "ensuring safety and economic stability" for all Albertans and that the government's economic recovery plan helped diversify the province's economy while lowering the unemployment rate to its lowest level since 2015.
"Put simply, Alberta is back," Schweitzer said.
"I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together over these many years," he added. "In the years and decades to come, I will continue to meaningfully contribute to public life."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.