MLA Drew Barnes will not seek UCP nomination after being ousted from party
The sitting independent MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat says he has no intention of returning to the UCP to seek the riding nomination ahead of this year's provincial election.
In a letter released Wednesday morning, Drew Barnes announced he would continue to serve as an independent for the remainder of his third term but was not considering a reunion with the UCP.
Barnes did not indicate whether he intended to seek a fourth term as the MLA for the southeast Alberta riding as an independent candidate or a member of another party, but did laud the approach of Premier Smith.
"I strongly support the concept of a Sovereignty Act for Alberta, and I believe that Premier Smith is genuine in her desire to assert Alberta's jurisdictional power," said Barnes in his letter. "In addition, I support the premier's leadership campaign promise to end vaccine mandates and vaccine passport discrimination through changes to the Human Rights Act."
Barnes was first elected as the riding's representative in 2012 as a member of the Wildrose Party.
The MLA was punted from the UCP caucus in May 2021, along with Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen, over criticism of the party and its direction under then premier Jason Kenney. Both Barnes and Loewen spoke out against the province's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and sat as independents, but Loewen later returned to the party in the fall of 2022 and was appointed as minister of forestry, parks and tourism.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
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.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
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.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'