Western Standard - June 22, 2022


SPECIAL COVERAGEļ¼š Travis Toews Edmonton Campaign Kick-Off


Episode Stats


Length

23 minutes

Words per minute

113.6429

Word count

2,635

Sentence count

89


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
00:00:00.000 Thank you.
00:00:30.000 for Edmonton Center and I'm pleased to be the chair for the Edmonton region on outreach to
00:00:41.520 make sure that we elect Travis as an ex-premier leader of our party and and premier of the
00:00:47.240 province and we've got several dignitaries here I hate doing this because you're gonna
00:00:52.800 miss someone but I'll I'll do my very best here we've got MLA's Tracy Allard Cyril Turton
00:00:59.440 We've got former MLA Dave Quested in the back and former member of parliament, a good friend of mine, Laurie Hahn.
00:01:29.440 And lastly, and not least, but one of my favourite people, because he was the mayor of the best
00:01:38.940 city and the best province and the best country in the world, Bill Smith is here.
00:01:50.560 So I'm really excited today, particularly on National Indigenous Day, to be able to introduce
00:01:55.780 our first speaker who's going to be introducing Travis Moore formally and why are you here today
00:02:01.540 you are here because this is about leadership this is about finding a leader and making sure
00:02:08.940 that we get good leadership in good government and I believe that Travis has that in spades
00:02:15.380 but we're also fortunate to have a community leader that has done so much for his people
00:02:20.940 and for our community.
00:02:23.100 It's fantastic that we have Billy Morin here,
00:02:26.360 Chief Morin, to introduce Travis Tace.
00:02:28.760 And Chief Morin, take the stage.
00:02:43.900 When Travis comes up, these are going to go up like this.
00:02:48.520 Me and James are about the same height.
00:02:50.080 no i'm not travis dave's height either what i said in my language was my name is actually
00:03:02.240 sacred rider is uh my my name uh chief billy moran of enoch crea nation and um wow just feel the
00:03:10.400 excitement in the room um and james thank you for that introduction acknowledge all my conservative
00:03:15.680 friends in the uh in the room tonight uh how many people from here from just like edmonton like just
00:03:22.080 edmonton come on louder like edmonton yeah you know i think as edmontonians you know when i
00:03:35.600 actually actually spoke at piercing and my my comment was there this is not redmonton we still
00:03:41.920 are conservatives i would say this is if not the still largest it's actually probably the second
00:03:47.600 largest or 1b concentration of conservative family in alberta right here right in the city of edmonton
00:03:53.920 and we need a champion we need a champion who can balance rule
00:03:58.320 and urban centers who can balance edmonton and calgary we need a champion
00:04:11.920 and who listens we need a champion who can go to the dinner table but also being the legislator in
00:04:35.520 the corporate tables and i think our next premier has proven that over and over again we need a
00:04:41.280 champion who can balance budgets give him a hand for that you know we know we're heading in a
00:04:45.520 little bit of a different direction and he was there to listen but i got a challenge travis to
00:04:52.160 do was sell me on a vision and tell me about your vision for alberta and uh he used the principles
00:04:58.320 of conservatism um and the history that we've built as conservatives in this province to do
00:05:03.760 and and show me a vision for the province but i'm gonna leave it up to him to say what his vision is
00:05:10.560 and i certainly believe in travis i endorse travis to be our next premier
00:05:14.240 and it is my honor to introduce my friends travis taves your next premier of alberta
00:05:40.560 wow the conservative movement is alive and well in the capital region
00:05:56.880 thank you all for taking time out of your evening out of your schedule on this beautiful evening
00:06:02.800 in june to come out for the mint and campaign kickoff it is so appreciated appreciated it's
00:06:08.400 incredible to see so many people that have sacrificed their evening for this i deeply
00:06:13.760 appreciate your commitment to this movement and thank you uh chief thank you for hosting
00:06:21.440 us here today it's so significant on indigenous people's day to actually
00:06:26.880 have this event right here on the river cree in the enoch cree nation it is so significant and chief
00:06:38.400 And let me say this, Chief Morin.
00:06:43.140 I am absolutely honoured and humbled with your endorsement of my leadership today.
00:06:51.280 Friends, this is coming from a leader in his community.
00:06:56.760 He has sacrificially and humbly provided and demonstrated servant leadership
00:07:03.420 as he served the people in his community on this great Cree Nation.
00:07:07.580 Positioning this nation for economic growth, for prosperity, for opportunity, for community members today and future generations.
00:07:18.260 These are the values we share.
00:07:19.940 his dedication to transparency and humility in leadership his commitment to fiscal responsibility
00:07:33.760 and we heard that again tonight and promoting economic development for the benefit of this
00:07:39.560 community now and for the generations to come again these are the values we share thank you
00:07:45.560 chief morin i i also i need to note a chief morin is um is transitioning he has served for seven
00:07:59.720 years i believe a stepping into this great position of leadership at the very young age of 28
00:08:08.280 that is so significant and providing sound wise leadership for this community and for this nation
00:08:16.600 again thank you chief that is truly inspiring and and i do want to extend my congratulations
00:08:23.560 to the newly elected chief cody thomas and wish chief thomas every success in his new role as well
00:08:37.560 Kim and I are three children and, yes, 11 grandchildren, are proud Albertans.
00:08:48.480 We're lifelong Albertans.
00:08:50.520 We've had an incredible opportunity to pursue careers and business interests
00:08:55.200 and raise a family in a province of possibility and prosperity,
00:09:00.320 a province where the ideals of freedom and self-determination are held in high regard.
00:09:07.560 And until 2019, my career had been spent entirely in the private sector.
00:09:13.060 I'm a CPA by profession.
00:09:14.840 I spent almost a dozen years in public practice, thoroughly enjoyed it.
00:09:19.180 But the entrepreneurial pull was great.
00:09:21.600 Like many of you, we were pulled into our family businesses.
00:09:26.720 We're thankful we were.
00:09:28.280 And since then, my wife, Kim, and I have grown and managed a family
00:09:32.720 cattle fishing operation and environmental services company as well in the Grand Prairie
00:09:38.580 region, and we've felt so privileged to do so. I've served on a number of provincial and national
00:09:44.280 industry boards, including as president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association following BSE.
00:09:51.040 There's been a motion in this province the last two years, there was a motion in that industry
00:09:55.140 following that event but i did all of this as most as so many conservatives do you know with
00:10:02.940 with our head down raising our family pursuing our business interests and not really paying
00:10:08.960 attention to government quite frankly the best day was the day i didn't notice government
00:10:12.560 as a conservative that was the best day we just i just took good government for granted
00:10:19.420 and friends that all changed in 2015 all of a sudden when this province made a sharp left turn
00:10:28.060 I sat up and took note because I was concerned that the opportunity the freedom the prosperity
00:10:34.120 that my family had enjoyed perhaps even taken for granted may not be there for the next generation
00:10:41.520 and so I got like many of you I got involved in the conservative unity effort
00:10:47.120 starting at the grassroots and you know well eight or ten a dozen then 20 of us met
00:10:52.380 in Grand Prairie this was the really great part I found that there were groups like this meeting
00:10:58.120 right across the province all kinds of folks who'd never paid attention to politics were sitting up
00:11:05.680 and taking note and asking the question what do we need to do as a movement to ensure that we can
00:11:12.940 provide the same opportunities for the next generation that we'd been afforded.
00:11:18.460 And I know certainly for our group, and I know for tens of thousands of others,
00:11:21.900 it was about unity for conservative-minded Albertans.
00:11:31.440 So like many of you, I stepped up to work on the unity movement, but then I stepped up also to
00:11:38.120 throw my hat in the ring as a candidate in the 2019 election. And it was certainly a privilege
00:11:44.880 to form government and an additional honor for me to serve Albertans as the Minister of Finance
00:11:52.600 and President of the Treasury Board. And since 2019, we've implemented an ambitious platform of
00:12:00.020 reform, including positioning Alberta's economy for exceptional growth, diversification, job
00:12:08.600 creation, and putting this province on a sustainable fiscal trajectory. The results of our economic
00:12:15.420 reforms have been self-evident. Most banks are predicting that Alberta will lead the nation this
00:12:21.600 year and next in real GDP growth. Our unemployment rate is the lowest it's been since early days
00:12:28.860 2015 and for the first time in over a decade we presented a balanced budget
00:12:42.860 and i might add i might add we used a 70 dollars 69 dollars and 66 dollars
00:12:50.940 in terms of our energy assumptions in this budget not the hundred dollars we're seeing today so
00:12:57.260 folks that's good news with respect to potential surplus positions for the people of Alberta.
00:13:04.540 We suspended the provincial fuel tax recognizing that affordability is the number one issue
00:13:10.220 facing Albertans today and many small business owners today. We helped Albertans offset rising
00:13:15.980 electricity costs and introduced a cap on gas consumers so all natural gas consumers in the
00:13:23.660 the province can benefit from an owned resource. We've created agencies like the Alberta Indigenous
00:13:30.220 Opportunities Corporation to ensure that access to capital is not a barrier to partnerships in
00:13:36.420 energy, transportation, agriculture, or telecommunications projects. And we reduced
00:13:42.560 our corporate tax rate and created the most business-friendly jurisdiction in the country,
00:13:48.060 leading to a flood of investment pouring into this province, economic growth, and expanded fiscal capacity.
00:14:02.820 And friends, that expanded fiscal capacity means so much to the delivery of important services in this province,
00:14:11.320 such as health care and education.
00:14:13.860 because you know what we're projecting that the government will actually raise more corporate tax
00:14:21.020 revenue at an eight percent rate than the previous government did at 12 that shows the strength of an
00:14:27.900 increasing strong economy in this province but there's been more we've reached agreements with
00:14:39.400 our great public sector workers in this province, with nurses, with healthcare staff, with teachers,
00:14:44.900 without labor stoppages or disruptions, providing stability in these essential services.
00:14:52.320 And while bringing fiscal discipline to this province, we've increased spending in healthcare
00:14:57.300 and education, which are so critical to Albertans from corner to corner. And I do want to pause to
00:15:05.400 just acknowledge the great contribution that many of our public sector workers have made in
00:15:10.480 the last two years. I think of teachers and especially nurses and frontline health care staff.
00:15:22.140 So many have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve Albertans sacrificially
00:15:28.440 and at great cost. And for that, I extend my gratitude of thanks.
00:15:36.740 Now, while we've made significant progress on a number of fronts, the pandemic has been
00:15:41.780 an incredibly challenging time. In meeting with Albertans all across the province,
00:15:46.800 I've heard heartbreaking stories of so much loss experienced in so many ways.
00:15:54.620 In many communities and many in families and businesses, the feelings of grief and deep
00:16:00.480 frustration continue to linger. Division has crept into our communities, our businesses,
00:16:07.140 and in some cases, tragically, even our families. There's not been a time in this generation when
00:16:13.820 healing and reunification have been so necessary across society and certainly within this
00:16:21.480 conservative movement as well. Five years ago, Alberta's grassroots conservative movement united
00:16:27.480 under one banner, focusing on the principles we hold in common, responsible fiscal management,
00:16:34.500 individual freedom, and limited government. And this great conservative movement must once again
00:16:40.960 focus on the values that unite us instead of the issues we divide.
00:16:51.480 You know, the passionately held principles of conservatives have sometimes made peaceful coexistence within a large and diverse party uneasy and occasionally fractious.
00:17:05.680 But while that significant diversity comes with unique challenges, I believe it is also what makes us fit to govern.
00:17:15.000 We must lead with strength and humility and return to the values that define us.
00:17:20.320 It's imperative that we take time to listen
00:17:28.940 to our members and to all Albertans
00:17:32.300 and we must learn from our missteps.
00:17:40.080 Now there are some who believe they no longer have a place
00:17:43.960 in this great conservative movement
00:17:46.160 feeling wrongly characterized, labeled
00:17:48.300 or perhaps disregarded. And to those who feel disenfranchised, I want to extend a call home.
00:17:57.100 We're better together and so much stronger in our unity.
00:18:08.300 Since forming government three years ago, even as we faced the seemingly overwhelming challenges
00:18:14.360 of the pandemic and the largest energy price collapse really in history certainly modern
00:18:19.940 history in spite of those challenges we've taken a province that was on a downward economic and
00:18:26.920 fiscal spiral and by holding fast to our principles we've set Alberta on a new path
00:18:33.360 we've balanced the budget and put Alberta on a sustainable fiscal trajectory of growth
00:18:38.780 opportunity, and hope. We will no longer undermine our long-term ability to care for the most
00:18:46.920 vulnerable. We will no longer spend more than we make, and we will no longer burden future
00:18:52.700 generations with a debt they did not incur.
00:18:55.020 I believe stable, responsible, strategic leadership is critical to the well-being of our province.
00:19:10.760 We cannot afford to see the gains that we've made erased.
00:19:15.280 And we must prove what I wholeheartedly believe,
00:19:19.000 that when we go to the polls next spring,
00:19:21.600 we are unequivocally and without doubt the best option for Albertans
00:19:26.100 and for the future of this great province.
00:19:45.180 Now, it's an incredible honor
00:19:47.380 to have the support of so many of my fellow MLAs.
00:19:53.260 Many of them are here today,
00:19:55.280 and thank you for taking the time, making the trip to be here.
00:19:59.160 Together, we reflect the great diversity of the province
00:20:03.280 and this conservative movement.
00:20:05.900 Some of us are rural, some are urban.
00:20:08.560 Some hail from the north, some from the capital region,
00:20:11.920 some from central Alberta, some from Calgary,
00:20:14.080 and some from the south.
00:20:17.380 Some are cabinet ministers, some have previously served as cabinet ministers,
00:20:22.680 but most are MLAs, like me, who are new to government since 2019.
00:20:28.900 They bring a fresh perspective, being fresh off the private sector.
00:20:33.180 They bring great ambition and a deep commitment to the people of Alberta.
00:20:37.920 Thank you for serving.
00:20:38.880 now we we don't agree on everything but we absolutely agree on what matters and those are
00:20:52.320 those deep conservative principles that bind us together the principles of fiscal responsibility
00:20:58.860 the principle of individual freedom and liberty and the principle of limited government
00:21:08.880 Now, as Conservatives, we know that the only path forward is through unity.
00:21:15.860 And as I look around this room, I believe it's the beginning right now,
00:21:20.900 reflected in my colleagues in the diversity of cultures and experiences represented here today.
00:21:27.520 We're committed to unity. We're moving forward in unity.
00:21:31.080 We're securing a future for the next generation because tonight, we stand united.
00:21:38.880 I believe in servant leadership, and I believe in humility as a guiding principle in government.
00:21:51.000 And I fundamentally trust Albertans.
00:21:54.840 Together we hold the answers for the challenges that we will inevitably face.
00:22:01.180 And so my invitation to all conservative-minded Albertans is this.
00:22:06.260 Let us seize this moment, this opportunity to step into the next chapter of our history united, laying aside our differences to focus on our shared vision.
00:22:19.480 A hopeful future for our children and grandchildren on the foundation of a free and prosperous Alberta.
00:22:26.720 Thank you and God bless Alberta.
00:22:36.260 Well, folks, that's what leadership looks like.
00:22:59.020 Again, thank you, Travis.
00:23:00.980 Thank you so much for running.
00:23:02.200 He now Travis is going to take care.