Western Standard - UCP Front Runners Debate by Western Standard

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00:04:26.440 welcome and thank you for joining us today at the western standards ucp front runners debate

00:04:32.840 Before I begin, I want to thank all of our staff at the Western Standard who have worked so hard

00:04:37.480 to pull off tonight's debate on a modest budget. A budget that I hope will be sufficient enough

00:04:43.160 to ensure we have a good internet connection tonight to stream it online.

00:04:48.600 I'm going to regret that if it's not. And speaking of budget, I want to thank the sponsors of this

00:04:53.960 evening's debate first. The Alberta Community and Cooperative Association is the representative

00:04:59.800 voice of over 700 cooperatives in alberta and credit unions of alberta represents 14 credit

00:05:06.120 unions with almost 200 branches located in communities large and small across alberta

00:05:12.200 supporting communities they operate in as a priority for credit unions and they give where

00:05:16.600 they live with annual charitable donations fundraising initiatives and sponsorships

00:05:21.320 that support local not-for-profits and small businesses and 84 million dollars back to their

00:05:27.080 members in 2021 through profit-share programs.

00:05:31.200 Our other title sponsor tonight is the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.

00:05:35.460 I love these guys.

00:05:37.460 I've been a member of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association for over a decade because

00:05:43.280 I trust them to be Canada's leading gun owners' rights organization.

00:05:48.020 In fact, Alberta and Saskatchewan's new provincially appointed Chief Firearms Officers were both

00:05:54.480 board members of the canadian shooting sports association

00:05:59.760 so if you're not yet a member of the cssa you should be thirdly i want to acknowledge and

00:06:06.880 thank the calgary sky palace sorry rooftop calgary it's beautiful it's beautiful

00:06:17.200 i want to thank rooftop calgary and its co-owner brett wilson providing such a beautiful and

00:06:21.920 convenient venue for tonight's debate and the staff have been fantastic give them around

00:06:31.280 they've been good to us so please make sure you eat lots and drink more while you're here

00:06:36.320 and i want to thank all of you for joining us tonight this i believe will be one of the major

00:06:41.680 inflection points of the ucp's leadership election one of the three candidates who will be on stage

00:06:48.080 in a moment will almost surely be the next premier of alberta we made the tough call to

00:06:53.520 limit tonight's debate to three front runners firstly and as big as this place is the stage

00:07:00.640 just would be too small to comfortably fit more than three candidates that's the easy answer

00:07:07.360 secondly there are already two other official united conservative party debates that will

00:07:12.000 feature all seven candidates and i encourage everyone who's watching tonight at home or here

00:07:16.960 to watch those debates as well and most importantly smaller debates tend to be more meaningful

00:07:24.080 they have more direct interaction between the candidates see they're already talking

00:07:27.760 and allow them more time to get beyond the talking points so we invited mr brian gene

00:07:34.720 mrs danielle smith and mr travis taves based on the best scientific polling data that we could

00:07:40.160 obtain and based on that data these three candidates are far the far most likely to make it

00:07:46.400 to the final three on the preferential ballot now i also want to acknowledge uh one candidate

00:07:53.280 who won't be on stage but who is here with us here tonight mr todd lowen where's mr todd lowen

00:08:09.040 i served four years with todd he's a great guy and uh if he's not on stage tonight we should

00:08:14.800 absolutely have a conversation with him and watch the other debates because he's he's got some

00:08:18.880 things that are definitely worth listening to i felt a little bad not inviting other candidates

00:08:24.560 as some of you know i'm a sucker for lost causes and taking on my share of hopeless crusades so

00:08:30.080 please be sure to watch the remaining official party debate in edmonton if you can they deserve

00:08:34.720 your consideration as much as those candidates who are with us tonight but tonight is the front

00:08:40.720 runners and i'll bet anyone here that one of the men or women fighting it out on stage is going to

00:08:46.240 be the next ucp leader and premier on october 7th so let's get to the ground rules one no sad trombones

00:08:56.160 applause is allowed but try to keep it short and seldom candidates will be allowed an opening 0.97

00:09:01.200 statement of two minutes each if you go over that i'll be a jerk to you 0.94

00:09:06.840 Curry Morgan will be right here beside me with time cards. 0.76

00:09:10.700 If you see a yellow card, that means you have 15 seconds left and it's time to wrap it up.

00:09:14.940 If you see a red card, that means you're done wrapping it up.

00:09:18.780 There will be 19 questions.

00:09:20.420 Sorry, 20 questions.

00:09:23.860 Math is hard.

00:09:26.380 There will be 20 questions that fall under six themes.

00:09:29.780 Alberta Strong.

00:09:31.020 Alberta Free.

00:09:32.280 Unity of Democracy.

00:09:33.420 Please, God, give us one more oil boom, I promise not to piss it all away this time, social programs, and a just Alberta.

00:09:42.260 Specific questions will be put to the candidates who will have one minute to respond.

00:09:47.380 The other two candidates have been selected in advance for a one-minute automatic rebuttal to the first candidate's answer.

00:09:53.600 When a candidate specifically criticizes another candidate by name or strong implication, the moderator, that's me, may at my own discretion allow the criticized candidate a one minute ad hoc rebuttal. Closing statements of one minute per candidate will be made.

00:10:09.760 Candidates are required to answer the questions directly. Failure to do so may result in me pressing the candidate to respond appropriately.

00:10:18.760 Candidates are required to keep their statements, answers and rebuttals within the allotted time.

00:10:22.760 If they do not, it may result in me saying something mean to them or muting their microphone if they keep doing it.

00:10:29.760 The questions tonight are going to be tough. If I do my job correctly, I believe all three will think I have it out for them.

00:10:38.760 them candidates are invited to make themselves available at the conclusion of the debate for a

00:10:45.400 friendly scrum with the local calgary media who are with us tonight so with that let me invite

00:10:51.800 the contestants up to the stage up first the former minister of finance and the mla for

00:10:58.920 Grand Prairie Wapiti, Mr. Travis Tabes, the former leader of the Wild Rose opposition,

00:11:14.120 you still don't know which one I'm calling yet, do you? And the MLA for Fort McMurray,

00:11:19.720 Lacklebish, Mr. Brian Jean.

00:11:28.300 And lastly, a lot of people said, is Danielle Canceling?

00:11:31.440 No, there's just a bigger sign over top, so it doesn't look like I'm in drag.

00:11:39.500 Lastly, the former leader of the official Wild Rock opposition and former radio show

00:11:44.780 host, Mrs. Danielle Smith.

00:11:49.720 All right.

00:12:19.720 This first section, I think we got a little feedback. The first section is Alberta Strong. The first question is for Mrs. Danielle Smith.

00:12:30.720 Your proposal of an Alberta Sovereignty Act has been one of the clear main topics of this leadership campaign.

00:12:36.720 is it attracted the scorn of varying degrees from all of your opponents save mr todd lowen

00:12:42.880 and much of the media you say that the act will keep many federal attacks on alberta from

00:12:47.760 enforcement here but your critics say that it will undermine the rule of law and investor confidence

00:12:53.280 how would you ensure that the sovereignty act does not undermine the rule of law and investor

00:12:57.280 confidence do i get two minutes because you said we were going to have a two minutes for

00:13:00.960 an opening statement or is this just a one minute answer i was not following my own rules so now you

00:13:05.280 know now you know what uh what it is okay so uh two minutes uh beginning with mr brian gene

00:13:16.160 well thank you thank you very much and uh thank you to derek and the western standard for putting

00:13:21.360 on this event and for everyone watching tonight and for being here i'm i'm a father i'm a

00:13:25.680 grandfather i'm a businessman a former litigation lawyer a former member of parliament i've also

00:13:31.840 mop floors, done a few odd jobs, driven tractors, run a printing press, and run a cash register.

00:13:38.140 I'm running because I truly love Alberta like everybody up here, and I know that it's possible

00:13:42.300 for Albertans to be the healthiest, the happiest, the most free and most prosperous people in Canada

00:13:47.800 and the world under my leadership. I commit to ensuring that you have more autonomy in your

00:13:53.060 lives, that you have more control of your life, more personal freedoms, personal autonomy,

00:13:58.080 financial autonomy, professional autonomy, autonomy for communities, and of course more

00:14:03.620 provincial autonomy for Albertans within Canada. I believe you should have the biggest say

00:14:08.120 in how you live your life. This means medical autonomy, choice in education, decentralizing

00:14:13.160 government decisions as much as possible. It means reducing everyday costs for Albertans

00:14:18.200 working with our experts in agriculture, in energy, healthcare, and technology sectors

00:14:23.740 to develop policies that will help them thrive, and it means going to head-to-head with Ottawa

00:14:28.300 to ensure Albertans get autonomy over our resources, as is guaranteed in the Constitution

00:14:32.520 under Section 92, and get more autonomy with our Constitution.

00:14:36.280 I am someone who means what they say and does that.

00:14:38.920 I will not lie to you just to tell you what you want to hear.

00:14:42.320 I have a proven track record of bringing positive results for the people of Alberta

00:14:46.140 through listening, consulting, negotiating, and caring.

00:14:49.460 I want to lead the UCP in a way that truly connects with people and works with Albertans across the province that actually finds solutions that work for you.

00:14:58.180 Only by working together will we have the success and prosperity for many years to come.

00:15:03.880 Vote for me, and I will make Albertans the happiest, the healthiest, the most free and most prosperous people in Canada and the world.

00:15:10.500 Thank you.

00:15:10.840 thank you mr gene uh mr travis tapes all right good well thank you to the western standard

00:15:24.060 derrick to you and your team for hosting thank you all for your engagement engagement matters

00:15:28.920 right now a bit about myself i'm a cpa i'm a cattle rancher i'm a i'm a business manager and

00:15:35.040 owner and i'm a typical conservative i my best day was the day i didn't notice government whether

00:15:41.760 that was in our businesses or in raising our family i'm also a father of three and a grandfather

00:15:46.960 of 11. friends i was not engaged in politics until 2015 when our province made a sharp left turn and

00:15:54.720 we elected an ndp government all of a sudden i sat sat up and took note i was concerned the freedom

00:16:01.440 the prosperity the opportunity that we've been afforded may not be there for the next generation

00:16:07.360 i ran in the election in 2019 was was tapped to be minister of finance and we made great progress

00:16:14.160 we took a flat-lined economy to an economy that's going to lead the nation this year and next we

00:16:20.080 took a fiscal train wreck to a balanced budget through all three years of the fiscal plan but

00:16:25.600 friends there's lots more to do there are many challenges for us here in the province of alberta

00:16:31.360 Tonight, right now, I want to draw us to what I believe is the most important question.

00:16:37.180 Which leader can unite this movement and which leader can be victorious, beat Rachel Notley in the spring of 23?

00:16:45.300 Friends, leadership matters.

00:16:46.980 And I want to commend my counterparts for their commitment to the conservative movement, to their commitment to the province.

00:16:53.400 But friends, we all have a track record, a leadership track record.

00:16:56.900 We all have exercised management decisions and judgment in the past.

00:17:02.520 We need to evaluate which leader can be trusted to bring good management and good judgment to this province and be victorious in 23.

00:17:11.460 I believe this province needs strong, principled, proven leadership.

00:17:16.200 Friends, that's what I can deliver.

00:17:19.060 Go to tasteforalberta.ca.

00:17:21.560 Thank you.

00:17:22.060 Thank you.

00:17:26.900 uh i suppose i've already gone over my own time uh i won't repeat the entire question but uh

00:17:37.140 pardon oh my god

00:17:42.580 i'm just eager to ask you this question mrs danielle smith

00:17:47.940 thank you thank you derek and and thank you to the western standard

00:17:52.100 for trying for really providing a true independent voice in the media

00:18:00.260 i must tell you you know everybody had a line during the uh the covet lockdowns and my line

00:18:05.700 when i was in mainstream media was when they asked me to bring my coverage in alignment with the

00:18:10.740 narrative and so when i left the mainstream media derek was kind enough to give me a platform on

00:18:16.420 western standards so i could interview all the people i wasn't allowed to interview when i was

00:18:20.900 on mainstream media and that's really a testament to how important it is the work that you do we're

00:18:26.020 in the middle i think of a crisis in cancel culture we're in the middle of a crisis where

00:18:30.580 people are worried that they might say one word that will get them cancelled or destroy their

00:18:35.220 reputation forever and i think that the work that you're doing puts us on the front line in alberta

00:18:40.340 being that voice for freedom and liberty let me tell you why i'm running i think part of the reason

00:18:46.020 why we're here, the reason we're having a race is because, quite frankly, the senior leadership

00:18:51.220 in the last government under our premier wasn't listening to the grassroots. I think lockdowns

00:18:57.760 were really harmful for all of us. It hurt us all in our own way.

00:19:04.880 And then with the supply chain disruptions that happened from the constant open close,

00:19:10.140 open close has created an inflation crisis and created some chaos in the business community that

00:19:15.120 we still haven't resolved and then of course on top of that we have the economic sanctions being

00:19:20.480 imposed on us by Ottawa and I think one of the things that I hear from members is what did we

00:19:26.140 do when we got the mandate from the people to stand up to Ottawa in the equalization referendum

00:19:31.900 and here's what I think we have to talk about tonight who is going to be the best person to

00:19:36.920 stand up to Ottawa who will be the best person to just to defeat Rachel Notley and who will be the

00:19:43.240 best person to restore our freedoms, and I think best person is me.

00:19:46.820 Thank you.

00:19:54.060 All right.

00:19:55.520 I know you're all very eager for your candidates, but try to keep applause short, please.

00:20:02.620 All right.

00:20:04.760 Now it's time for the question.

00:20:07.760 The Alberta Sovereignty Act.

00:20:10.040 Do I get one minute?

00:20:11.640 One minute.

00:20:12.520 One minute. Candidates have one minute to answer, and then each of the other two candidates will have a one-minute rebuttal.

00:20:19.900 The Sovereignty Act has been extremely controversial. It's been a major topic in the campaign.

00:20:25.700 But your critics have said that it undermines the rule of law and investor confidence.

00:20:29.660 How would you ensure that the Sovereignty Act does not undermine the rule of law and investor confidence in Alberta?

00:20:34.460 I think we have to realize that Ottawa has created economic chaos.

00:20:39.500 The reason why we have had about $150 billion worth of projects cancelled, including Energy East, the tech frontier mine, even Keystone XL, is because these businesses couldn't see a way through to the finish line on getting approvals because of the chaos Ottawa has created in interfering in our jurisdiction.

00:20:58.220 We have constitutional rights to develop our resources in our own way.

00:21:02.360 And Ottawa keeps on creeping and creeping and creeping into our jurisdiction.

00:21:06.100 So all the Sovereignty Act would do is it would put them on notice that we're drawing a line.

00:21:10.540 That we are not going to enforce any federal rules, laws, or regulations that violate the Constitution and our sovereign rights under sections 92 through 95 in the Constitution.

00:21:22.440 Or violate the rights of our citizens under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

00:21:26.600 It's letting them know that we are going to stop being a junior player in Confederation and we're going to start being a senior partner.

00:21:33.060 We're putting them on notice.

00:21:36.100 So the Sovereignty Act, if implemented, I believe would create uncertainty and a lack of predictability.

00:21:47.860 It would have the potential to create chaos within this province and send billions of dollars of capital out of Alberta.

00:21:56.220 Look, yes, the federal government has undermined Alberta's vital economic interests, but why should we create additional chaos?

00:22:03.380 All that will do will send our economy into a tailspin.

00:22:07.020 We've made great progress in the last three years.

00:22:09.680 We will lead the nation in economic growth this year and next.

00:22:13.960 We cannot see those gains unwound.

00:22:17.260 We have to ensure that we take a strategic approach.

00:22:20.700 Strategic we win.

00:22:22.240 With chaos, we will lose.

00:22:29.080 I'll just remind the audience,

00:22:31.160 we've got 20 questions i want to get through tonight and i'm sure you all do too please

00:22:35.320 refrain from heckling if you want to heckle become an mla uh you're here let's be let's be friendly

00:22:41.400 uh mr brian gene thanks i agree with most of the elements of the free alberta strategy at least in

00:22:47.960 principle but i disagree with the alberta sovereignty act you might disagree with me

00:22:51.000 but i spent 10 years in law and 10 years in federal government with stephen harper and i

00:22:57.240 I will tell you that the CRA will definitely freeze and take your money if you stop paying your income taxes.

00:23:02.580 I guarantee you that they will stop you in Toronto and arrest you if you violate the laws.

00:23:07.680 The UCP was founded on the principle of the rule of law and obeying the laws so that we don't have anarchy.

00:23:14.380 If you think uncertainty was brought about and disruption was brought about as a result of COVID,

00:23:19.520 if we send these signals, and they are signals because they're already in the Constitution and the Charter of Rights.

00:23:25.600 These things are already there. We just need to make sure we protect them.

00:23:29.260 We need to make sure that Albertans understand that we are going to stand up for them and not take it.

00:23:33.220 And we've had previous premiers that weren't prepared to take that step.

00:23:36.940 On day one, I will take that step.

00:23:38.600 I will send notice under section 46 of the Constitution that is laid out specifically how the province will deal with this.

00:23:45.780 Thank you.

00:23:50.220 The next question is from Mr. Brian Jean.

00:23:52.160 In 2016, you were the first Alberta political leader to propose a referendum on equalization coming from the recommendations of the Wild Roses Equalization Fairness Panel.

00:24:02.460 That idea was subsequently taken up by outgoing Premier Jason Kenney, and a referendum was held in October of last year, where Albertans overwhelmingly voted to remove equalization from the Constitution.

00:24:13.420 Following this referendum, the Alberta government, however, was silent, and no demand was made to Ottawa and the other provinces to open negotiations.

00:24:21.860 You have committed to taking this back up if you become the UCP leader and premier.

00:24:26.520 What would you do differently to see concrete changes to abolish or change equalization that the current premier has not?

00:24:33.820 Well, the first thing you have to understand is equalization was simply brought about because it's a tool to get the changes we need.

00:24:40.380 We need to open up the Constitution.

00:24:42.540 People, Canadians, Albertans have been too afraid to get any deal at all.

00:24:46.280 We need to go to the negotiating table.

00:24:48.540 And how we do that is exactly what Mr. Phil DeBrandt has said.

00:24:52.040 I brought forward the equalization study.

00:24:53.840 We had an equalization referendum.

00:24:55.360 We got 62% of a mandate from the people of Alberta to go to Ottawa and to send a legal notice,

00:25:00.720 which I will send on day one as premier.

00:25:02.840 That legal notice will be under section 46 of the Constitution

00:25:05.660 and under paragraph 69 of the reference case by the Supreme Court in relation to the yes-no vote in Quebec.

00:25:12.760 There is already a path forward that we need to pursue.

00:25:15.820 We need to open up the Constitution to deal with the Senate.

00:25:18.540 to deal with the fact that one vote does not mean one vote in Canada.

00:25:21.900 We don't have equal representation.

00:25:23.840 We cannot get our products to Tidewater.

00:25:26.660 All of these things can be solved,

00:25:28.680 but there are so many others that we can't accomplish.

00:25:30.880 But we need to open the Constitution,

00:25:32.680 and even Ms. Smith agreed with me last night

00:25:35.020 that we need to open the Constitution.

00:25:36.720 Thank you.

00:25:41.500 Ms. Smith.

00:25:43.060 Eventually we need to open the Constitution.

00:25:46.040 It's quite clear.

00:25:46.740 One of the things we have to do on equalization, though, is that we have to be aggressive on this.

00:25:51.700 It's not a matter of tinkering with the formula.

00:25:54.200 Quebec should never be receiving equalization transfers from small provinces like Saskatchewan.

00:25:59.840 How that ever happened is beyond me.

00:26:02.160 And so we need to put forward a position paper that would put forward ideas for how we would eliminate equalization in alignment with what Albertans have told us.

00:26:10.760 Number one, Quebec's hydroelectric power has to be marked up to market.

00:26:14.740 that would eliminate the lion's share of the of the amount going to quebec we also have to adjust

00:26:19.700 for cost of living in the different parts of the of the country because it doesn't cost as much to

00:26:24.740 deliver services and we also have to make sure that it doesn't grow with the growth in the economy

00:26:29.700 if we're going to see a decrease in the disparity between provinces we shouldn't be increasing

00:26:34.820 equalization that would eliminate the lion's share of equalization and make sure that alberta is

00:26:40.500 treated fairly mr tapes you were at the cabinet table when the equalization

00:26:51.060 referendum was passed but not not much from the government seems to have been

00:26:55.380 done to act upon the results of it you say you will take up the cause of

00:26:59.060 equalization reform or of abolition if you are elected ucp leader or premier

00:27:04.260 what would you do differently from the current premier to see changes to

00:27:07.560 equalization? I will make sure we're prepared in 2024 when we have an opportunity to renegotiate

00:27:14.100 equalization. I will get support from other like-minded provinces to fix the inconsistency

00:27:20.060 in Quebec hydro treatment versus Alberta non-renewable resource revenue. I will work to

00:27:25.020 eliminate that GDP growth accelerator which distorts the equalization program. Those changes

00:27:31.420 along with the cost of living adjustment, takes a $22 billion program down to $11 billion.

00:27:37.400 We have to approach this strategically.

00:27:39.680 We have to take a page out of Quebec's playbook.

00:27:41.880 Every time a Liberal government is in Ottawa, Quebec leverages their political power.

00:27:47.760 What did we do when we had a Harper government in Ottawa?

00:27:50.460 What change did we make to our federal fiscal transfer programs?

00:27:54.020 Friend, we have to be strategic.

00:27:56.480 We have to ensure that we make the changes we can in 2024

00:27:59.380 and finish it off when we have a Conservative government in Ottawa.

00:28:09.920 Mr. Taves, in 2020, the Fair Deal panel reported back recommending an Alberta police force,

00:28:16.160 an Alberta pension, an Alberta chief firearms officer, and pressing forward with the equalization

00:28:21.060 referendum, and recommended status quo in the Constitution. When the report was released,

00:28:26.760 However, Premier Jason Kenney said failure to secure a fair deal is not an option.

00:28:32.160 But more than two years later, the only concrete implementation of the fair deal panel has been to appoint an Alberta chief firearms officer.

00:28:39.400 Why has so little of the fair deal panel's recommendations been implemented?

00:28:43.280 And what would you do with the points that have not yet been implemented?

00:28:46.320 So you've heard my plan on equalization.

00:28:49.180 We need fundamental reform.

00:28:50.480 We need to take every opportunity to make the changes that are required.

00:28:54.920 Secondly, on an Alberta pension plan, look, friends, an Alberta pension plan is the biggest lever we have in this province

00:29:01.680 to right the fiscal imbalance within Confederation.

00:29:05.460 We've done the econometric work. We've done the actuarial work.

00:29:08.960 I know what great promise it holds.

00:29:11.500 We've also done the constitutional legal analysis.

00:29:14.300 I also know the federal government can throw a wrench into the gears.

00:29:17.760 We have to handle that one tactically.

00:29:19.920 we have to handle it strategically

00:29:22.100 in tactic methodology and

00:29:24.120 timing or we will lose it

00:29:25.820 we will move forward if I serve

00:29:28.040 as premier I will move forward

00:29:30.140 with that at the time when we

00:29:32.040 can win with an Alberta pension plan

00:29:34.080 because if we don't win

00:29:35.660 political bluster and rhetoric mean

00:29:38.080 nothing

00:29:38.500 Mr. Gene

00:29:45.420 section 46

00:29:48.260 and I quote, may be initiated either by the Senate or the House of Commons or by the legislative

00:29:55.060 assembly of a province. A resolution by any of these legislative bodies is the constitutional

00:30:00.180 initiating mechanism and that's what triggers the duty to negotiate. Paragraph 69 of the Quebec

00:30:07.100 succession reference, the Supreme Court of Canada said and I quote, constitution confers a right to

00:30:13.680 initiate constitutional change on each participant in confederation. The existence of this right

00:30:19.420 imposes a corresponding duty on the participants in confederation to engage in constitutional

00:30:24.920 discussions in order to acknowledge and address democratic expressions of a desire for change in

00:30:30.280 other provinces. End quote. The people of Quebec have the path forward which was given to them by

00:30:36.320 the Supreme Court of Canada. I'm suggesting I'll do it on day one. We don't need a sovereignty act.

00:30:40.660 We need Brian Jean as Premier, and I will get the job done to get a fair deal from Ottawa.

00:30:45.040 All of this is contingent on that.

00:30:46.640 Thank you, Mr. Jean.

00:30:51.420 Ms. Smith.

00:30:52.100 I was in High River during the High River gun grab.

00:30:56.320 And I can tell you, trying to hold the RCMP to account for who was responsible after that was nearly impossible.

00:31:02.220 And now we have an RCMP commissioner who is running interference for the federal government to try to get the make and model of the firearms used in the Nova Scotia shooting so she could use that as a pretext to bring in a new firearms confiscation for 1,500 firearms.

00:31:17.040 this is the reason why in the fall we need to act on bringing forward an alberta provincial police

00:31:22.560 because when we say we are not going to enforce federal laws that violate our provincial

00:31:27.040 jurisdiction property and civil rights are our jurisdiction and we will not enforce that we will

00:31:32.720 also make sure we'll also make sure that we repatriate all of the firearms act licensing

00:31:41.520 i've talked with terry bryant who is the firearms officer she said we can take over all of the

00:31:45.520 licensing. Most important thing is to implement an income tax, get the ball rolling so that we

00:31:50.800 can start collecting our own income tax just like Quebec. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Quebec does not collect

00:31:55.920 their own income tax. They don't. I'm sorry, I'm going to allow specific rebuttals if someone

00:32:04.160 names another candidate or strongly implies something after them, but there's no interjections

00:32:10.880 of that kind please uh pardon i imply daniel smith can i now quebec does not collect their

00:32:19.040 own federal income taxes they do not they have two tax returns you want to do two tax returns

00:32:23.120 mr gene the next section is alberta free the first question is for mr travis tapes

00:32:29.840 mr tapes you sat in the inner circle of uh the kenny government's cabinet since the ucp1

00:32:35.200 in 2019 this government and governments around the world were faced with the unexpected covet 19

00:32:40.320 pandemic. During that time, the cabinet imposed many on-again, off-again lockdowns, on-again,

00:32:46.540 off-again mandatory masking orders, and a vaccine passport that the premier and then finance

00:32:51.380 minister promised just weeks before would never see the light of day in Alberta. Churches were 0.80

00:32:57.080 raided by police, pastors arrested and thrown in jail, and small business owners shut down for

00:33:01.660 staying open. One teenager in Calgary was attacked by police for playing hockey on an outdoor pond

00:33:06.880 in defiance of provincial restrictions for many freedom-oriented albertans these measures were

00:33:12.240 an overreacting unscientific and authoritarian violation of their liberties what was your role

00:33:18.640 in the government's covid policies and what would you have done differently if you had been the

00:33:24.160 premier at the time yeah i i was the finance minister not the health minister but i certainly

00:33:30.160 served on that covid committee look those were the hardest hours and days of my life i'm a rancher

00:33:36.160 from real alberta my faith is incredibly important to me and believe me those were the hardest days

00:33:42.640 i believe that my presence around that table made a difference my perspective bringing the

00:33:48.720 perspective of real albertans bringing the perspective that i hold dear the deep commitment

00:33:55.680 and foundational principle of individual freedom liberty and limited government bringing that

00:34:00.640 perspective to the table made a difference and I believed I best served Albertans and my

00:34:06.400 constituents by staying around the table. One thing I can say, going forward lockdowns are not

00:34:12.640 the answer, full stop. Mandating vaccines are not the answer, full stop. You have my commitment on

00:34:19.680 that. Mr. Jean, you recommended that future lockdowns and mandates should require a vote in

00:34:30.400 the legislature which they currently do not rather than just the cabinet but in march of this year

00:34:35.760 you said that ndp leader rachel notley i quote should be brought into the cabinet table and that

00:34:42.080 she should have been brought into decision making do you still believe that that would have led to

00:34:46.800 better outcomes during covid and what would you have done differently than the current premier

00:34:51.440 well first of all i never would have put rachel notley in charge of anything let's be clear she

00:34:55.040 She would not have been making any decisions, but what I did recognize clearly was that I have seen politics kill people, and in COVID it did.

00:35:05.000 Decisions were made, we know, by the federal government that did not follow the experts.

00:35:08.740 We've heard the expert testimony saying that, so we know politics played a role.

00:35:12.660 I would never jail pastors. I would never allow that to happen.

00:35:15.780 I would never shut down or lock down people in that way.

00:35:17.980 But what I did suggest, when the fire happened in Fort McMurray, I saw it firsthand how you can take politics out of emergency situations.

00:35:25.340 What happened is Rachel Notley brought me in and my team in to all of the information in relation to the fire and my citizens because I was busy serving my citizens in the fire.

00:35:35.500 She made sure that I was privy to everything and my team was privy to everything so that I couldn't play politics because it was too important that people's lives were at risk and their property was at risk, just like COVID.

00:35:46.840 that I suggested to bring her in, not to the decision-making,

00:35:50.140 but so she could see and hear the information

00:35:52.160 and not play politics and cost our lives.

00:35:54.660 Thank you, Mr. Jean.

00:35:56.760 Makes sense.

00:35:58.920 Ms. Smith, you promised to ban lockdowns outright

00:36:01.500 and make discrimination for health care choices,

00:36:03.920 such as vaccines, illegal under the Alberta Human Rights Act.

00:36:07.420 But some of your critics have said that these proposals are extreme

00:36:09.980 and would endanger public health in future public health emergencies.

00:36:14.060 How would you respond to that?

00:36:15.060 I would say that sometimes experts are wrong, and it requires political discernment to know when you're getting bad advice.

00:36:23.040 Like when health experts tell you to shut down businesses, and institute vaccine mandates, and demonize unvaccinated people, and jail pastors.

00:36:31.540 At some point, you have to stand up as a politician and say, no, Todd Lowen stood up. He paid a big price. He got kicked out of caucus for standing up.

00:36:39.840 And I stood up.

00:36:43.440 Look, I don't blame the government for the first couple of months in March, April,

00:36:46.840 when no one knew what was going on.

00:36:48.300 I think everyone was trying to figure it out.

00:36:50.100 We were also told that Alberta Health Services needed the time to increase surge capacity.

00:36:55.260 We were told that they were going to work on increasing ICU beds by 1,089.

00:36:59.500 It was very specific.

00:37:01.020 And then what happened when we were open for summer and supposed to be open for good,

00:37:04.100 we found out that the health experts not only didn't increase ICU capacity,

00:37:08.140 They decreased it to 173.

00:37:11.280 That is the reason why we ended up in the crisis today.

00:37:14.220 Politicians needed to act to override their officials.

00:37:17.160 Thank you.

00:37:24.720 Mr. Jean, the federal government has passed a host of bills

00:37:27.900 aimed at online speech and media control.

00:37:31.540 This began with a $600 million media bailout

00:37:34.180 followed by a raft of legislation

00:37:36.300 that would prioritize federally approved media in social media feeds,

00:37:40.760 bring content creators under the CRTC,

00:37:43.760 and limit what people can say online,

00:37:45.900 and have automatized what news is legitimate

00:37:48.000 and which is classified as illegal misinformation.

00:37:51.500 While the bailout and this legislation is all federal,

00:37:53.920 it has a direct impact on the free speech and free press of Albertans.

00:37:58.360 What would you do as Premier to protect freedom of speech

00:38:01.320 and freedom of press from federal actions?

00:38:04.380 Thank you for that question.

00:38:05.460 i think the universities in alberta should be free thought generational machines they should

00:38:10.660 give our students our kids the opportunity to stretch their minds as much as possible and we

00:38:14.740 need to make sure our universities which are under our exclusive jurisdiction under the constitution

00:38:19.220 we have the opportunity to make those the op the freedom expression areas for albertans i would

00:38:24.420 make sure that first of all they didn't come into our provincial jurisdiction under section 92 it's

00:38:28.660 federal jurisdiction under section 92 we have the details folks we have the rules we just have to

00:38:33.700 enforce those rules and have a premier that's prepared to do so that's why i did the equalization

00:38:38.500 referendum study that's why jason kenny had it uh put in the municipal government for an election

00:38:44.500 and a vote because we know that we need to take the next step and the next step is opening the

00:38:49.380 constitution and talking about all those things that we need to talk about whether it's the balance

00:38:53.860 of power whether it's elected senate whether it's getting our products to tide weather whether

00:38:57.700 it's the continual interference by the federal government but spending 10 years there i can tell

00:39:01.860 you i was disgusted and i want the change thank you

00:39:09.380 smith what would you do as premier to protect freedom of speech and freedom of the press from

00:39:13.460 federal action from what i've seen the federal government is trying to regulate our internet

00:39:18.180 media companies like western standard and rebel and true north on the on the right hand side of

00:39:23.140 the spectrum and tyee canada lands and the observer on the left hand side of the spectrum so this is a

00:39:28.180 hitting both of those types of media outlets equally what happens with the crtc is they you

00:39:34.180 have to go and defend your license for broadcasting every five years and if you have too many

00:39:39.620 complaints against you they can hold life or death decision over pulling your broadcast license

00:39:44.420 that's the reason why mainstream media is not giving the full and robust debate that we now

00:39:49.460 see in the alternative media and i think they wanted to come in and do the exact same thing

00:39:53.460 here what i would say is we should make alberta a free media and free speech zone if it means that

00:39:58.020 we have to work with elon musk and his starlink satellite service so that we can have free media

00:40:02.980 here broadcasting to the rest of the country we should do it and i'm not saying that idly i've

00:40:07.860 talked to somebody who's broadcasting into the ontario market from florida because they believe

00:40:12.180 this is going to happen but it shouldn't be happening here

00:40:20.900 mr james free speech free speech is a fundamental right in a free and democratic society it's

00:40:28.340 critical to defend it without it we have nothing you know we we have to work with other like-minded

00:40:35.220 provinces to push back on the federal government on so many issues including this issue of free

00:40:41.540 speech. I'm going to go to our universities, our post-secondary institutions, because that's a

00:40:46.240 place where so often free speech is not allowed. I believe the Alberta government has an opportunity

00:40:51.260 through our funding model to ensure that every university and every college, every post-secondary

00:40:58.160 institution in this province allows and offers free speech right across the political and

00:41:04.880 ideological spectrum. That's absolutely critical to ensure that the next generation is not brain

00:41:11.420 wash to the activist left. If we go there as the next generation, our society will fail.

00:41:17.940 We have to defend free speech.

00:41:25.360 Ms. Smith, in 2020, the federal government banned 1,500 different firearms. Some of these

00:41:31.520 were regular hunting rifles and sporting rifles that sometimes had carbonite stalks on them

00:41:36.460 that made them look scary. Also on the list were items I had assumed were legal, like German

00:41:42.620 Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets and Russian anti-aircraft missiles. I suppose I missed out.

00:41:47.820 Well, I could. More recently, the federal government has promised to ban the sale,

00:41:52.100 gifting, or transfer of all handguns in Canada. What would you do as Premier to defend the right

00:41:58.120 of firearms owners from the federal government? Yeah, I began by talking about this and the role

00:42:03.100 that we can play with our chief firearms officer one of the things that she mentioned is that we

00:42:06.920 already do the regulation on our our shops that sell guns and we also do sort of the higher order

00:42:13.940 of gun licensing for those who need to have a second check but most of our routine firearms

00:42:18.640 licenses they get uh processed in mirror machine and it's taking not just months it's taking years

00:42:23.980 to do i think the federal government is is trying to uh encourage people not to get firearms if we

00:42:30.400 repatriate that act and we end up doing all of the administration here it gives us more control

00:42:36.380 over making sure that people who are law-abiding get their firearms and then when we have an

00:42:40.080 alberta provincial police and the federal government says that they're going to start

00:42:43.520 confiscating firearms we can say actually we have different policing priorities our policing 0.99

00:42:47.960 priorities is to make sure that those who live in rural communities do not have people going

00:42:53.180 onto their property and stealing their stuff without it being taken care of that's what our

00:42:57.340 policing priorities should be, but we can only do that if we take control.

00:43:06.560 Mr. Taves, while you served in Cabinet, your government was the first in Canada to appoint

00:43:10.920 its own Chief Firearms Officer. What further steps would you take as Premier to defend the

00:43:15.580 right of firearms owners if you are Premier? Number one, we need to work with other like-minded

00:43:21.520 provinces to push back on egregious federal laws and restrictions that limit the freedom of law

00:43:28.320 abiding gun owners right across the country look we did appoint a cfo and i was at a gun range here

00:43:34.120 in calgary a few months ago and you know that owner brought out automatics that day we shot

00:43:39.060 automatics in a gun range i said how can you do that he said you know what alberta with our own

00:43:44.160 cfo grants us exemptions to do this legally we benefited i benefited that day from additional

00:43:50.280 freedom for firearms owners i would absolutely repatriate the licensing function the transfer

00:43:57.960 function that administrative function needs to be conducted here in alberta we can do it it's

00:44:03.160 within our purview and and we will then create and set a course for firearms owners in alberta

00:44:10.120 to transfer buy and sell guns legally and more expeditiously

00:44:14.120 mr gene i've had a restricted license for 35 years i'm an avid hunter i know the firearms are

00:44:24.540 extremely important and so is safety and the balance of course is section 91 and 92 i keep

00:44:29.220 coming back to it because in order to do what we want we have to open up the constitution section

00:44:33.620 91 of course deals with safety of the public section 92 of course deals with personal property

00:44:38.180 what we need to do is person pass a personal property law that deals with this particular

00:44:43.240 item ownership in order to get the supreme court to make a decision on it if we don't do that if

00:44:49.220 we don't open the constitution we're going to keep coming back to the same thing over and over and

00:44:53.820 over again in fact what i would say to you right now is this is that we can do that and we can pass

00:45:00.080 it we can get the supreme court of canada to decide where safety is and where personal property

00:45:04.640 is but more than that during that process we have to make sure that the chief firearms officer

00:45:09.220 slows everything down.

00:45:12.280 And I don't usually suggest that's the way to do it,

00:45:14.760 but, you know, Mr. Taves is right.

00:45:16.600 We need to slow it down, take over the administrative process,

00:45:19.520 and just stop the federal government coming in.

00:45:22.160 Thank you.

00:45:26.380 Our next section is unity and democracy.

00:45:29.160 Mr. Jean, Voltaire once said that the Holy Roman Empire

00:45:33.280 is neither holy nor Roman nor an empire.

00:45:36.000 I'd argue that at times the United Conservative Party

00:45:38.840 is neither united nor conservative nor party. Over the last two-plus years, the UCP has been

00:45:45.060 hugely disunited. It has taken actions that many would argue are not particularly conservative,

00:45:51.500 and at the best of times resembles more of a coalition than a traditional party.

00:45:56.080 As the leader of the Wild rose from 2015 to 2017, you led one of the two legacy parties that formed

00:46:01.760 the UCP. How would you as leader be able to make the United Conservative Party united again?

00:46:08.340 Well, first of all, let's face it.

00:46:10.900 I was the one that pulled us back from the brink after we had a floor crossing for our cabinet seat.

00:46:17.940 Listen, folks, but more than that, the team is important.

00:46:21.640 But remember that during that period of time, I had Derek Filderbrand and Drew Barnes in my caucus.

00:46:26.380 We never kicked anybody out.

00:46:28.120 We never had anybody quit.

00:46:29.560 Now, we did suspend somebody, if we remember, probably for about a month.

00:46:32.420 But caucus made that decision.

00:46:34.040 Caucus brought them back in, too.

00:46:35.380 Now, if I can do that with Derek and Drew, I think I can do it with anybody that's there now, right now, for sure.

00:46:40.980 And I think Derek would agree with me.

00:46:42.680 But how you promote unity is by how you treat people.

00:46:46.280 By doing things the right way.

00:46:48.020 Making sure you consult properly.

00:46:49.560 Making sure that when you're making major decisions to walk across the floor,

00:46:53.080 you don't do it in the closet of darkness.

00:46:55.780 That you bring it out to the people.

00:46:57.120 That you make it available for them like we did in the unifying parties coming together.

00:47:02.180 We had a vote.

00:47:02.900 We were transparent, and we brought the process along.

00:47:05.200 And guess what?

00:47:06.000 Nobody quit any of those caucuses.

00:47:08.320 How about that?

00:47:09.020 That's called unity.

00:47:10.040 Thank you.

00:47:10.560 Thank you.

00:47:15.960 I know there's a lack of trust to politicians, and I'm part of the reason for that, because

00:47:20.060 the decision I made in 2014, I'd been involved with the Progressive Conservative since 1992,

00:47:26.560 and Jim Prentice was the very first campaign manager I worked under, so I had a lot of

00:47:30.060 admiration for him.

00:47:31.060 But I let my own admiration of him get in the way of the job people wanted me to do.

00:47:35.780 I was prepared to go for unity faster, obviously, than the public was.

00:47:40.360 I got punished. I lost my nomination. He got punished. He lost the election.

00:47:44.620 But whatever would have happened in 2015, I think we now know that we are stronger united.

00:47:51.020 That's part of the reason why I came back into this process.

00:47:53.760 I began to see the same divisions forming that had formed back at that time with rural Alberta feeling disaffected.

00:48:00.740 And we know when rural Alberta feels disaffected, they end up forming their own party.

00:48:06.520 I've been inviting everybody to come back in by promising them that we wouldn't have lockdowns,

00:48:10.500 by promising that we would finally do something on autonomy this time.

00:48:13.960 And that's the reason why I'm here. I'm here to fight for you.

00:48:23.820 Mr. Taves.

00:48:24.720 You know, number one for unity around the caucus table is to ensure that every government MLA has a voice.

00:48:32.640 Absolutely critical. It's fundamentally important. And I would ensure that occurs.

00:48:38.560 But, you know, I talked about the importance of good judgment in providing leadership.

00:48:43.020 I got involved in politics because this province elected an NDP government.

00:48:47.460 And I want to point to Daniel Smith right now because the floor crossing in 2014, I believe, led not only to the end of her immediate political career and that of Jim Prentice, but it led to a setback for this province and for all Albertans in decades, in tens of billions of dollars.

00:49:09.080 Friends, that's not leadership. That is not good judgment. That does not unify a movement.

00:49:14.320 uh i will allow a rebuttal if you'd like miss smith look guys no politician is perfect but i

00:49:22.240 think we all respect politicians who recognize mistakes who own up to them and who apologize

00:49:27.840 in fact i think that's part of the reason we're in the problem that we're in right now

00:49:31.360 is that we've had precious little apologizing for a lot of the errors that have made it been

00:49:36.000 made in the last two years now i i have humbly apologized to you for my role in splitting the

00:49:46.080 conservative movement i'd ask mr taves to apologize to you for the role he played in

00:49:50.880 locking us down the last two years i'm going to allow a rebuttal to mr taves although i'm going

00:50:05.120 I'm going to try to make sure this doesn't become a volleyball game at this point here.

00:50:08.940 Mr. Taves.

00:50:10.380 Oh, absolutely.

00:50:11.160 You know, as I travel around this province,

00:50:13.000 I absolutely acknowledge that so many of the government decisions were taken in error in the last two years.

00:50:19.000 I acknowledge all the loss that Albertans have experienced.

00:50:22.480 And I apologize as part of that COVID cabinet committee,

00:50:26.680 even though I brought a perspective of freedom.

00:50:29.800 I was part of that decision making.

00:50:31.480 I was part of that government.

00:50:32.880 And I'm happy to own that.

00:50:35.120 But here's the reality. 0.99

00:50:37.520 When Danielle crossed the floor in 2014,

00:50:41.020 it ultimately took this province to the left.

00:50:44.740 That resulted in an NDP government for our children and grandchildren.

00:50:51.620 That set this province back decades.

00:50:54.980 That's what brought me into politics today.

00:50:57.400 That's what we have to avoid.

00:50:58.680 all right well i can't control the motorcycle but uh i appreciate everyone's passion but i want to

00:51:13.240 keep this moving along i'm having a lot of fun uh but let's try to keep it try to keep it tame

00:51:18.600 and not hug each other too much uh we're going to talk about nominations miss smith nominations uh

00:51:24.360 party nominations are a quiet yet critical part of modern democracy. In so-called safe seats,

00:51:30.520 the nomination of a candidate determines who the MLA is much more than the general election.

00:51:35.320 Every party has controversies and nominations, but the UCP has had several highly questionable

00:51:40.520 disqualifications that resulted in protecting certain incumbent MLAs and ministers fairly

00:51:46.680 recently. If you are a party leader, will you reopen nominations in constituencies where

00:51:51.560 candidates were disqualified on questionable grounds? I've told the party executive that I

00:51:56.500 recognize this is a joint responsibility for us to ensure fair nominations and so I'll kind of

00:52:02.040 reserve judgment until October the 7th if I win. I'd like to have that conversation with them

00:52:07.080 because there may be some things behind the scenes that I don't know but what I would say

00:52:11.600 is that our party allows for the leader to appoint in four ridings and I think if the

00:52:17.420 The leader wanted to protect a couple of candidates, they should have just been forthright about that.

00:52:22.460 And done the appointment, said that these two individuals, House Leader and Deputy House Leader, were necessary for the legislative agenda.

00:52:29.020 I think that was probably the reason.

00:52:30.680 Because we can't go around destroying people's reputations unnecessarily.

00:52:34.400 We have a fiduciary responsibility as well.

00:52:36.680 And if we start doing cancel culture the same way that the left does cancel culture, we are not going to get good people to run for us.

00:52:43.580 So I think we have to look at some of the rules around disqualification and maybe be a little bit more forgiving about what somebody might have put on their Facebook page 12 years ago.

00:52:54.500 Thank you.

00:52:58.500 Mr. Jean, would you reopen nominations in constituencies that have had some questionable disqualifications?

00:53:05.220 Yes, I would because we're trying to unify a party here.

00:53:10.280 And the only way we're going to unify a party is to be transparent.

00:53:13.580 to be accountable to make sure the grassroots the cas the members all of albertans see that we are

00:53:19.500 unified that is the only way we can do this and we need to open it up and show the transparency

00:53:24.060 and the fact that the members are in charge of our party because as soon as you lose the membership

00:53:30.220 you have another party you have disunity and you have a crisis in alberta and you know what

00:53:35.420 the number one thing i'm here for i had great hopes for jason kenny but the number one thing

00:53:39.820 i'm here for is to make sure the ndp don't win an overwhelming majority ever again in alberta and i

00:53:44.540 hope you're with me uh the same question to you mr tabes would you reopen nominations whether

00:53:54.220 the questionable disqualifications so i would absolutely um ask the board to take a look at

00:54:00.700 that i would want to see the that the criterion that was used is defensible and fair ultimately

00:54:07.420 members elected our party board and it was the party board who made those decisions so to respect

00:54:12.700 grassroots members i would i would say we shouldn't categorically overturn their decision but i would

00:54:18.700 i would want to see that criterion and make sure that it was done in a spirit of fairness now look

00:54:24.060 i recognize that when you step up to public office we are under public scrutiny and anything in my

00:54:29.580 past can affect affect the electability of the movement we have to recognize that and so a

00:54:35.340 A screening and vetting process is important.

00:54:38.440 I know when I went through mine, it felt like I needed a hot shower when we were done.

00:54:41.680 That's the reality. It's invasive, and it has to happen.

00:54:44.920 I support the process.

00:54:46.320 I would also support a review of the criterion that was used by the board.

00:54:54.640 Mr. Taves, last year, MLA's Todd Lowen and Drew Barnes were expelled from the United Conservative Party caucus

00:55:01.780 after the first called on Premier Jason Kenney to resign

00:55:05.720 and the later for, well, being Drew.

00:55:09.320 I won't ask you how anyone else voted

00:55:11.980 since it was a caucus meeting,

00:55:13.700 although I may have been there in spirit,

00:55:15.980 but you did have a secret ballot

00:55:18.200 that you are at liberty to speak about.

00:55:20.980 The reason for their expulsion,

00:55:23.180 conflict with the current Premier,

00:55:24.900 seems to be a moot point now.

00:55:26.700 Would you tell us how you voted on their expulsion

00:55:29.180 and would you support their return

00:55:30.660 to the United Conservative Party caucus?

00:55:33.140 I would certainly support Drew and Todd

00:55:36.360 returning to the United Conservative Party caucus.

00:55:39.380 I believe right now we have an opportunity

00:55:41.420 to push the reset button on this conservative movement.

00:55:45.080 Unity is absolutely essential.

00:55:46.740 In fact, friends, if we fail to unite,

00:55:49.800 we will hand this province over to the NDP.

00:55:52.120 And there's not one person in here who wants to see that.

00:55:55.520 I would absolutely ensure that both Todd and Drew

00:55:58.380 could come back into the party.

00:55:59.940 we would push the reset button and we would have a fresh start.

00:56:07.140 It was a two-part question.

00:56:08.860 You can decline to answer, but I want to put it to you again.

00:56:13.300 Would you tell us how you voted on the expulsion of Mr. Byron and Mr. Lowen?

00:56:17.360 You can decline to answer if you wish.

00:56:19.380 Sure.

00:56:19.840 Well, you know what, I'm going to answer it this way.

00:56:21.400 I also believe, I believe that every MLA needs full opportunity to express their views

00:56:27.760 and the views of their constituents at the caucus table i also believe after decisions are taken

00:56:34.400 that caucus speaks with one voice regardless of the personal viewpoints all right we bring

00:56:39.680 that's my position and and that that was informed by the time when i was president

00:56:45.280 the canadian cattlemen's association i'll take that as a decline if if you don't it's okay uh

00:56:53.680 Ms. Smith, you were not a member of the UCP caucus during the expulsion vote,

00:56:58.320 but if you become UCP leader and premier, would you support the return of Mr. Barnes and Mr. Lowen?

00:57:03.920 I understand that the vote was taken in caucus, and I think a vote of caucus should take place

00:57:09.520 for them to return. I've talked to our caucus colleagues, and my understanding is they would

00:57:13.760 vote in favor of that. They haven't had a caucus meeting, which I think is fundamentally what's at

00:57:18.240 the heart of the problem of why it is we have caucus disunity is that we they don't have a fair

00:57:24.240 process to and a full process to get to know each other to get to like each other to feel like their

00:57:30.020 voices are being heard and i i guess i disagree i you know and the culture in our party in the

00:57:34.680 wild rose was that we believed in free votes we believed that we tried to get to a consensus but

00:57:40.640 in the end if a person has a reason of conscience for why it is they can't go along and why it is

00:57:46.360 they feel they have to vote for their constituents' views, that's what should prevail, because

00:57:51.500 they represent you, the elected, as elected representatives, they don't work for the party

00:57:57.400 leader, and the leader has to make sure they do everything to try to bring that consensus

00:58:02.020 together, but in the end, it does have to, we do have to have caucus freedom.

00:58:06.480 Ms. Smith, I'm going to just rephrase it again, just point blank, would you support,

00:58:11.980 you would support their return?

00:58:13.640 Yes, 100%.

00:58:16.360 Mr. Jean, you are a member of the caucus now, but you were not at the time of their expulsion vote.

00:58:23.520 If you are a leader and premier, would you support the return of Mr. Barnes and Mr. Lohan?

00:58:27.680 I would. Absolutely, I would. I've been clear on that.

00:58:29.900 I'd actually have all the candidates here, including Todd, as a member of Cabinet,

00:58:34.540 because I think it's important if you're going to put yourself up here

00:58:37.140 that you should be part of the team, leading the team later on.

00:58:40.800 But, you know, I have a track record of leading businesses and organizations.

00:58:44.640 almost 15 years of elected experience both federally and provincially and i will tell you

00:58:50.480 folks that you can't unite people you can't bring them together and you will not avoid having another

00:58:56.520 party if you don't listen to them and respect them we need to make sure the caucus has the vote

00:59:00.600 the caucus has the ability to bring them back in and you know if caucus listens to them and we

00:59:06.000 understand what the ramifications of not bringing them in is which means another party on the right

00:59:10.380 and the NDP in my opinion getting elected

00:59:12.560 then I think they will come back in

00:59:14.300 but we have to have a clear conversation

00:59:16.160 and that's up to caucus to do that

00:59:17.680 but I'm not so sure they will let caucus

00:59:19.800 those two people back in

00:59:21.360 and we need to make sure as the people of Alberta

00:59:24.320 that we make caucus understand

00:59:26.180 along with myself and everybody up here

00:59:27.960 that that's what we need to do

00:59:29.280 we need to unite

00:59:30.160 our next segment is

00:59:36.420 please God give us one more oil boom

00:59:38.360 I promise not to piss it all away this time.

00:59:42.440 Mr. Taves, for the first time since Ralph Klein was premier,

00:59:46.120 Alberta is in a significant fiscal surplus position,

00:59:49.180 but much of this is driven by high non-renewable natural resource prices.

00:59:54.480 Alberta's spending still remains extremely high.

00:59:56.880 In the last year of the NDP government, total spending was $56.3 billion,

01:00:01.580 but in the most recent year that concluded under your management as finance minister,

01:00:05.120 spending was $64.4 billion.

01:00:07.400 That means that this government is spending $8.1 billion more per year than under the highest year of the NDP.

01:00:14.640 As leader and premier, would you consider cutting spending in real terms to less than it was when the party came to office?

01:00:23.240 And what would be your priorities with the budget surplus?

01:00:26.840 Yeah, Derek, good question.

01:00:28.320 I have to point out, though, that in the previous year, there was approximately $5 billion in COVID spending related to economic recovery.

01:00:37.400 I had my department break out operating expenditures so that department heads couldn't commingle that funding in baseline budgets.

01:00:44.000 We've kept operating expenditures flat for four years.

01:00:48.260 That's how we've eliminated the $10 billion differential between Alberta's spending and Comparator Provinces.

01:00:54.840 That was step one in putting this province on a sustainable fiscal trajectory with a surplus.

01:01:00.420 I would immediately, any surplus up to the earnings level of the Heritage Savings Trust Fund,

01:01:06.520 I would immediately redeposit in that Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

01:01:09.960 Beyond that, we need to set funds aside to ensure that we can pay off debt as it matures.

01:01:16.040 If we have to go to capital markets and borrow for that debt to pay it off,

01:01:19.660 we'll be doing it at twice the cost of capital.

01:01:22.140 We will not be able to afford that.

01:01:23.940 Fiscal discipline will continue to matter.

01:01:30.420 Mr. Gene.

01:01:33.820 Well, right now, folks, nurse overtime is 120% of their salaries.

01:01:40.200 We're spending more money than anywhere else in Canada.

01:01:42.360 I admit that COVID was a blip, but we need to change how we do things.

01:01:45.600 And it doesn't mean we have to cut back on money.

01:01:47.700 It just means we need somebody that knows how to manage things, how to reorganize things,

01:01:50.880 how to get things working again, how to empower people, how to unify them and make a plan work and stick to it.

01:01:56.440 We're spending far too much, and we need to cut it back.

01:01:59.280 But we don't need to cut back the people.

01:02:00.920 We could actually give our nurses a 10% raise, double the amount of nurses, 0.64

01:02:04.640 and we'd be spending the same amount of money.

01:02:06.780 Like, seriously, would we have a health problem if we did that?

01:02:09.940 No, we would not.

01:02:11.260 That's why we have to do so many things differently.

01:02:13.200 But we need somebody that understands that and will get past the bluster

01:02:16.460 and all the other situations that happen when you've been in government too long

01:02:20.380 and you talk about things you don't know about.

01:02:22.940 Surpluses, I would use the interest on the surplus to alleviate the inflation burden

01:02:27.280 on Albertans right now and pay off the debt

01:02:29.200 as it becomes due, just as Mr. Taves says.

01:02:31.140 That's what we have to do. I would not put savings

01:02:33.140 in the Heritage Fund for now, but I would in time

01:02:35.120 after the debt is paid. Thank you.

01:02:39.400 Ms. Smith.

01:02:41.020 Some people like to dust off old columns

01:02:43.280 of mine, so let me tell you an oldie but a

01:02:45.300 goodie from 2001 when

01:02:47.040 the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which

01:02:49.100 Derek worked for, had the idea that we should

01:02:51.300 set aside a certain portion

01:02:52.740 of our surpluses year after year after year

01:02:55.480 in our Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

01:02:57.460 Just go back to the same original idea that Peter Lougheed had.

01:03:00.760 If we had done that, I remember calculating a couple of years ago,

01:03:03.940 we would have had $250 billion in our Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

01:03:08.260 Now, the best time to have started that would have been back in 2001

01:03:11.760 when I was writing about it.

01:03:12.940 The next best time to do that would be now.

01:03:15.280 If we wait until there's money left over to start a savings plan,

01:03:19.160 there's never money left over.

01:03:20.440 The wealthy barber taught us.

01:03:21.620 So we need to have, once again, a long-term savings plan.

01:03:24.660 And let's set an audacious goal.

01:03:27.000 Let's put it out there that we want to have a sovereign wealth fund

01:03:30.040 that's $500 billion, generating $25 billion a year

01:03:34.660 so we can eliminate income tax and eliminate corporate income tax.

01:03:38.320 And let's be telling our bills now to make that happen.

01:03:46.980 Ms. Smith, in the last election, the UCP ran on a platform

01:03:50.540 of abolishing the NDP's consumer carbon tax

01:03:53.440 but quietly left in place the NDP's carbon tax on the oil and gas industry.

01:03:58.580 This carbon tax operates under the name Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Program.

01:04:04.840 The Alberta government even obtained approval from the federal liberal government for its industrial carbon tax.

01:04:10.860 This energy industry carbon tax has the support of some big producers,

01:04:16.880 but is opposed by most of the small and medium-sized firms.

01:04:20.480 The UCP government took the federal government to court on the consumer carbon tax,

01:04:23.880 but ultimately lost in the Supreme Court of Canada.

01:04:26.620 As UCP leader and premier, would you repeal or maintain Alberta's own industrial carbon tax?

01:04:33.620 And what, if anything, would you do to resume the fight over the federal carbon tax

01:04:38.400 following the defeat in the Supreme Court?

01:04:40.640 I think that the consumer carbon tax is unfair to Albertans,

01:04:44.160 especially when you look at our accelerating natural gas bills and home heating in the winter.

01:04:50.880 It harms our seniors, our electricity bills, because 90% of our power grid is based on fossil fuels.

01:04:56.580 If you look at the rising cost of gasoline and diesel,

01:04:59.580 I think that Brian's come up with some great ideas about how to bring gasoline and diesel prices down.

01:05:04.340 I know that Travis and others have proposed ways to bring down our electricity prices.

01:05:08.000 So we have to continue the fight on the consumer carbon tax.

01:05:10.980 But I must tell you, 90% of our oil sands company, 90% of our companies have committed to aggressive emissions targets reduction.

01:05:20.240 And part of the reason is that they are looking at ways in which they can reduce emissions through technology.

01:05:25.220 If we end up increasing our LNG exports by double or triple or quadruple, we can reduce global emissions and get credit for that.

01:05:32.740 If we start counting all of the sequestration that we currently do in our forests and soils and grasslands, I would bet we're already net negative.

01:05:41.380 Thank you. Thank you.

01:05:46.520 I've got to come back to you for a direct answer.

01:05:50.840 Would you abolish or maintain the industrial carbon tax?

01:05:53.580 I'd maintain the tier program, yeah.

01:05:55.440 Okay. Mr. Jean, some question to you.

01:05:58.980 would you maintain or repeal the industrial carbon tax?

01:06:01.860 And what, if anything, would you do to fight the consumer carbon tax

01:06:05.100 following Alberta's defeat in the Supreme Court?

01:06:07.800 Well, I've mentioned opening up the Constitution

01:06:09.860 because the Supreme Court of Canada actually interpreted the current Constitution,

01:06:13.780 and that's why we lost the carbon tax case.

01:06:16.180 Let's open the Constitution, let's talk about carbon tax again.

01:06:18.720 But would I keep that fund?

01:06:20.520 Well, it depends on whether there's an equivalent in the federal government

01:06:23.860 because if there's not, then we have to talk to the federal government

01:06:28.060 because they have the environment file.

01:06:30.180 And if we don't have an equivalent here in Alberta,

01:06:32.260 then they can bring one in that's even worse than the one we have.

01:06:35.300 So I would make sure, first of all, that the federal government would not bring one in.

01:06:38.540 But I always believe in lowering taxes, Derek, every opportunity I have.

01:06:42.100 So if we can get rid of this carbon tax on industry and the industry itself,

01:06:46.600 the corporations, the big corporations want to get rid of it,

01:06:49.180 I think that's a very important thing.

01:06:50.620 They're the one being taxed on it.

01:06:52.060 And if they think that's a solution, we should work with them to make sure that it is a solution.

01:06:55.760 And if it's not a solution and we can get rid of it, absolutely.

01:07:03.220 Mr. Tabes, I'll put it the same to you.

01:07:05.220 Would you maintain or repeal the UCP's industrial carbon tax?

01:07:09.120 And what, if anything, would you do with the federal consumer carbon tax?

01:07:13.240 So the federal consumer carbon tax is ridiculous.

01:07:17.820 And we ultimately need a regime change in Ottawa to get that one fixed.

01:07:22.100 We did all we could at the Supreme Court of Canada.

01:07:23.980 I would maintain the tier program, the heavy emitter levy.

01:07:28.780 All of the proceeds of that program are reinvested back in the industry for technology improvements.

01:07:34.460 And to Brian's point, that keeps the feds out of our jurisdiction, which matters.

01:07:38.260 So that's important.

01:07:39.440 What's the problem is that the pricing of the carbon is accelerating at rates that are untenable.

01:07:46.460 And if we outpace other economies, competing energy producers on trying to get to net zero, like my leadership hopeful to the left has suggested, we will actually put the energy industry out of business in this province.

01:08:01.040 We can't outpace competing economies and competing energy producers.

01:08:05.240 We have to make sure that price of carbon is not too high or we simply will not compete.

01:08:10.500 i'm not sure if the jab was about karma tax or saying that she was to your left but i will

01:08:18.520 allow a rebuttal well i think i think perhaps travis may misunderstand what is happening

01:08:23.680 already in the in the space i mean if you are exporting lng that's actually increasing the

01:08:29.320 ability of us to uh to um continue to invest and also generate revenues and we get offsets that's

01:08:35.200 how the paris accord is is working i'm not sure why we wouldn't take advantage of that we've also

01:08:39.800 got a huge investment strategy in hydrogen. We've become expert at capturing CO2 and burying it

01:08:45.320 underground. I'm not sure why we would oppose that. Our bitumen, the best use for it is asphalt.

01:08:50.540 And even if you drive an electric car, you're going to need roads to drive them on. So I see

01:08:53.900 an acceleration in our export of asphalt, even if we're not using it for combustion purposes.

01:08:59.040 It may not be well known, but there's 6,000 different products that come out of a barrel of

01:09:04.060 oil. Only 30% of them are combustion, 70% aren't. The idea that we're going to phase out this

01:09:10.160 industry is ridiculous. It'd be like talking about phasing out steel or phasing out cement.

01:09:14.780 I think we have so much upside and I'm so excited that the industry is investing in all of these

01:09:19.900 technologies to make it happen. Mr. Jean, right now gasoline runs about $1.48 in most of Calgary.

01:09:34.060 The UCP government removed the provincial portion of the tax on gasoline, which saw prices fall relative to other provinces that maintain their taxes.

01:09:42.820 At times, however, the Alberta prices have come up to match or even exceed a few other provinces, even though they had lower taxes.

01:09:51.360 But they have come back down again, however.

01:09:54.620 You have said that you believe Alberta drivers are being ripped off.

01:09:57.600 On July 21st, you said that you will, quote, end price gouging and that the abuse must stop.

01:10:02.860 You said, I quote, increasing regulation is not something I would normally consider, but that you would introduce legislation that would allow the government to set retailer margin caps when there is abuse.

01:10:15.280 Alberta Premier Jason Kenney asked the Competition Bureau to look into gasoline price fixing, but none has been found as of yet.

01:10:22.080 Do you still believe that gasoline prices are being fixed in Alberta and that a government-approved profit cap is the best way to fix that?

01:10:30.920 Well, I think competition is the best way to fix the market.

01:10:33.820 It always is.

01:10:34.400 But right now, if you want to start a gas station, it's going to cost a lot of money to do so.

01:10:37.740 So it's not really an easy entry market.

01:10:40.520 Are they ripping us off?

01:10:41.600 Well, they did 30 to 35 cents there for about three months.

01:10:45.040 They certainly did.

01:10:46.280 The money was being stopped at the retail and the wholesale level.

01:10:49.200 And it was not getting the savings from the Alberta government.

01:10:51.480 It was not getting to the Albertans.

01:10:52.740 That's why I proposed a royalty-free gasoline policy.

01:10:57.000 that would mean that Albertans don't pay gas on the gas that they actually consume.

01:11:00.640 That would be about 380,000 barrels a day.

01:11:03.200 And in fact, that would save about 15 cents off each and every liter that Albertans would purchase.

01:11:08.000 Along with the fuel tax savings, that would be another, probably in total, about 28 cents.

01:11:12.560 Now, these things would make everything cheaper.

01:11:14.340 It would make groceries cheaper.

01:11:15.540 It would obviously make going to work cheaper.

01:11:17.400 It would make everything else we do less expensive because gas is directly linked to the economy and inflation.

01:11:23.480 And that's why I propose that.

01:11:25.220 And I think regulation, if I can just say this, is not what I would do.

01:11:28.260 But five provinces regulate right now.

01:11:29.920 And what I would regulate is enabling regulation, which would enable it to be brought forward immediately.

01:11:34.760 That's fine. Thank you.

01:11:35.200 Thank you.

01:11:38.200 Mr. Taves, do you believe gasoline prices are being fixed in Alberta?

01:11:42.580 And would a government under your leadership consider making the abolition of the gas tax, provincial gas tax, permanent?

01:11:50.060 You know, as finance minister, I always stated during times of inflation, the best thing governments can do is spend less, borrow less and tax less.

01:11:58.620 I was very, very privileged to bring the fuel tax suspension program into place.

01:12:02.920 I would make that permanent, by the way, if I served Albertans as premier.

01:12:06.540 No, I would not bring in regulation to limit margin.

01:12:10.220 I believe that that's a slippery slope.

01:12:11.820 When governments start to regulate profitability, what we need to do is ensure that there are fewer barriers to entry.

01:12:19.580 so that we have a competitive marketplace.

01:12:22.000 Now, price fixing, collusion, that's illegal already.

01:12:25.340 That needs to be investigated.

01:12:26.760 But in the absence of that aberrant behavior,

01:12:29.120 we need to ensure that a very competitive marketplace exists,

01:12:33.020 and that ultimately will result in very efficient competitive prices to consumers.

01:12:39.120 Bringing regulation in to eliminate profitability

01:12:42.000 is a slippery slope that will undermine investment in this province.

01:12:48.280 Mr. Smith.

01:12:49.580 I'll just compliment both Travis and Brian on this, because Travis is right.

01:12:55.480 In fact, by eliminating the fuel tax, we have pretty much eliminated the effect of the carbon tax at the federal level.

01:13:02.580 They're still taking our money, so it's still worth the fight to figure out how we can make that stop.

01:13:06.840 But I think that that was a good policy.

01:13:08.980 And to Brian's credit, he was on this issue right from the beginning.

01:13:12.800 He's been watching Dan McTeague and Dan McTeague pointed out that the wholesale price had really dropped and our prices here hadn't.

01:13:19.700 I think that's what prompted Jason Kenney to look into it.

01:13:22.660 And they responded pretty quickly as soon as the premier said he was looking into it.

01:13:26.900 So I think that we have a good resource in Dan McTeague.

01:13:30.120 I was very pleased that Brian put forward his policy because in every oil rich jurisdiction, they do have a local pricing policy for their consumers.

01:13:37.760 And so if we can figure out a way to make his royalty break permanent, I think that's an idea we should all support.

01:13:49.300 I have to get you guys fighting again.

01:13:51.540 Okay.

01:13:52.700 Mr. Taves, credit unions are a major part of the financial industry in Alberta, especially in rural communities, focusing on small businesses and agriculture.

01:14:01.320 In many communities, they're the only bank in town.

01:14:03.420 The Credit Union Act is thought by many in the industry to be out of date and tying the hands of Alberta credit unions, putting them at a disadvantage with big federally backed eastern banks.

01:14:15.700 As finance minister, you oversaw the credit union sector in Alberta, and in your campaign, you've talked about strengthening Alberta's hand against eastern interests.

01:14:24.100 What would a government under your leadership do to help Alberta-based credit unions compete and innovate against the federally backed eastern banks?

01:14:30.980 Well, a couple of things. As finance minister, I brought in a lot of red tape reduction, regulatory modernization to the Credit Union Act. I worked to broaden the powers of the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation, and I've really moved that.

01:14:47.960 it's called KUDGE in acronym,

01:14:50.240 move KUDGE to really position it

01:14:52.060 as a single financial regulator in the future in the province.

01:14:55.880 I believe if we can have a single financial regulator,

01:14:58.600 it will ultimately position the financial services sector

01:15:01.800 for strength in Alberta

01:15:03.420 and more broadly to compete right across the country.

01:15:07.140 Look, regulatory reform in financial services

01:15:09.740 is absolutely critical.

01:15:11.360 The credit unions provide incredible service

01:15:13.860 to Albertans right across this province.

01:15:16.120 Their powers need to be broadened,

01:15:17.540 but they also need to be unfettered with additional red tape reduction, regulatory modernization as we move forward.

01:15:30.400 Ms. Smith, what would a government under your leadership do to help strengthen Alberta credit unions vis-a-vis most of the eastern-based central banks,

01:15:40.580 or sorry, federally backed eastern banks?

01:15:42.520 I think everybody should get an account at a credit union because if the federal government comes through with an Emergencies Act again and wants to start seizing and freezing bank accounts, we can say move your money to the credit unions and because they are under our regulatory jurisdiction, we will not enforce that.

01:15:58.760 I wish we had done that the first time, but I can tell you, I have talked to heads of credit unions, and that money is flowing in to credit unions.

01:16:09.360 The federal government has done a lot to reduce the confidence that we have in the banking system, and I think that was part of the reason why we had the reversal in the policy as quickly as we did.

01:16:20.060 So I think that the credit unions are going to play a very important role in future.

01:16:23.920 I'm looking at ways in which we can use the credit union

01:16:26.280 to maybe have our own insurance on CMHC type of insurance

01:16:29.880 so that as we get into this period of higher interest rates,

01:16:32.900 we can make sure that those original homeowners

01:16:36.100 don't end up finding themselves in a position

01:16:38.580 where they're upside down on a mortgage.

01:16:40.580 That is going to be the next big crisis that we have to face

01:16:43.080 is making sure that we have affordable housing.

01:16:45.100 Thank you.

01:16:49.220 Mr. Jean, you seem to disagree.

01:16:52.000 I do disagree.

01:16:52.680 I spent 10 years doing foreclosure law for banks.

01:16:55.900 The credit unions have to obey Revenue Canada when they send a notice.

01:16:58.820 And they don't need a judgment.

01:16:59.740 They don't need a lawyer.

01:17:00.480 They just send a notice.

01:17:01.300 And they're going to take your money out of your account no matter what you do.

01:17:04.400 But listen, folks, the credit union is not the only great tool we have in Alberta to serve Albertans.

01:17:09.700 We have the ATB that was set up in order to make the charter banks that were taking advantage of Albertans to be competitive.

01:17:16.900 What we need to do is have the government force the ADP through a direction, ATB, to get back to business of basic lending.

01:17:24.520 To get back to make sure that Albertans can buy homes at affordable interest rates.

01:17:29.040 It's not competitive. They're not there to make money.

01:17:31.080 They're there to serve Albertans.

01:17:32.880 That means small business loans.

01:17:34.400 That means student loans.

01:17:35.700 That means farmers.

01:17:37.040 All of these things should be in a situation where the ATB does not need to make a profit off of Albertans.

01:17:42.620 we own it just like we own the oil sands just like we own the natural gas we own it we should

01:17:47.980 not be paying a profit on it we should make sure the atv the credit unions serve albertans with

01:17:52.840 lots of cash so we can start being profitable again thank you thank you

01:17:56.400 smith in a september 2020 column in the calgary herald you said that the alberta government

01:18:09.420 should balance the budget by, I quote, increasing taxes and reducing spending in equal measure.

01:18:15.440 You went on to say that the Alberta government needed to raise $5 billion in new taxes and,

01:18:19.640 quote, yes, a provincial sales tax. During this campaign, you've come under fire for this column.

01:18:25.540 In response, you've said that you're against the PST and that the candidates pointing this out

01:18:30.020 are smearing you. But they are pointing to a column where you were supporting a PST.

01:18:36.540 Did you change your mind about a sales tax, or are we reading your column incorrectly?

01:18:40.860 When I wrote the column, we were at $24 billion in deficit.

01:18:44.860 It's part of the reason why we have the record high debt in the province.

01:18:47.940 I think it's up to over $100 billion now.

01:18:50.580 We only had $2 billion with the resource revenue at the time.

01:18:54.880 And I think everybody was wondering how we were going to get out of the mess.

01:18:57.520 Our Western Canada Select was trading negative, as was our natural gas.

01:19:01.860 So columns are written at a point in time.

01:19:04.040 And fortunately, we have now gotten to a position where we're going to give another couple seconds on your answer.

01:19:16.740 All right.

01:19:19.680 The perils of where fortunately we're now at a position where our fortunes have turned.

01:19:24.020 I mean, we have 16 billion dollars worth of resource revenue.

01:19:27.060 Keep in mind, we only have four billion dollars in surplus.

01:19:29.800 it means we are still over reliant on that 12 billion dollars for to fund our operational

01:19:35.960 spending that's why we need to look at structural reforms it's why we need to look at putting the

01:19:41.000 dedicated amounts set aside for savings so that we can increase a new income stream that comes

01:19:46.200 from savings and we also need to put in place a dedicated debt reduction plan so that as we

01:19:51.320 pay down debt we're also freeing up money that can be used for operations that's the that's

01:19:54.920 the plan we need to follow now thank you mr taves about a month and a half after miss uh smith's

01:20:04.600 column you told the edmonton chamber of commerce that you would consider a provincial sales tax

01:20:09.080 but only after we cut spending and covet 19 was in the rearview mirror

01:20:12.840 now that the balance budget and covet are behind us is a pst on the table absolutely not and what

01:20:18.840 I state is I would appoint a revenue panel to take a deep dive into Alberta's revenue structure to

01:20:26.000 ensure we have the most efficient and appropriate structure possible. I never committed at all to a

01:20:31.860 PST or to one tax increase. I balanced the budget by actually reducing corporate taxes, positioning

01:20:38.460 this economy for growth, which results in expanded fiscal capacity and bringing fiscal discipline to

01:20:44.400 the province. We balance the budget without a $5 billion tax increase. Friends, my mind hasn't

01:20:50.640 changed on a PST. My mind has never changed on the approach to ensure a province is successful

01:20:57.140 fiscally and economically. The worst thing you can do during an economic challenge is increase

01:21:02.700 taxes. That's something I wouldn't do. It's something I didn't do. We balance the budget

01:21:07.640 without that, in fact, with tax decreases.

01:21:14.400 Mr. Jean, Alberta may be back in surplus, but that surplus is highly dependent on volatile, non-renewable natural resources.

01:21:23.360 Can I answer this question?

01:21:25.100 This is a part of the same thing. You are part of it.

01:21:28.680 Alberta still faces a structural deficit, however, because this is based on volatile, non-renewable resources.

01:21:35.120 Would a PST ever be on the table under your leadership?

01:21:38.980 Well, I'm the only candidate that said it, and I'm the last one to say it.

01:21:41.760 I would never bring in a PST in Alberta ever as premier.

01:21:45.180 Let's be clear, no PST ever, notwithstanding we may have a deficit.

01:21:50.180 And I understand, I have an MBA in finance.

01:21:52.400 I've run a lot of businesses.

01:21:53.600 I understand the argument for it.

01:21:54.920 But you know what the argument against is?

01:21:57.040 Vulnerable Albertans will pay the price disproportionately,

01:22:00.080 and they will suffer even more so under a PST than they do right now under inflation.

01:22:04.280 So never a PST.

01:22:05.520 And I would ask my friends here to say the same thing.

01:22:08.020 Never a PST.

01:22:09.060 It's several words.

01:22:10.040 It's easy to say.

01:22:11.760 um they've not said it let's let's hear it they told the story but they didn't say it

01:22:18.080 we're actually uh running slightly ahead so i want to come back to something you said mr taves

01:22:23.040 uh you said that there's been no tax increases uh while you were finance minister but in the

01:22:28.720 first budget of this government uh the government reintroduced bracket creek the dn taxation

01:22:35.360 of income taxes that was something in particular that uh the premier fought against when uh

01:22:41.520 Well, we had kind of the same job at one point with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

01:22:45.860 Would you speak to why you believe that was necessary at the time?

01:22:50.140 And what is the future of bracket creep or re-indexing of income taxes in the future with you as Premier?

01:22:58.140 Thank you, Derek.

01:22:59.280 We inherited a fiscal train wreck, and we had to take a number of decisions, difficult decisions, to ensure that we could bring this province to balance.

01:23:07.520 One of those was simply pausing indexation on a number of programs, including indexation in our personal tax system.

01:23:15.420 At the time I committed to Albertans, as soon as we had fiscal daylight, as soon as we had brought the province to balance, to fiscal responsibility, I would re-index both the programs and the personal tax system.

01:23:26.580 I committed to do that and would follow through with that.

01:23:29.160 But really what we did is actually reduce taxes, not raise them.

01:23:32.360 We reduced our corporate tax rate by 4%.

01:23:34.520 percent that's by by one third very very significant here's here's the good news friends

01:23:40.680 we're going to collect uh more in corporate tax revenue at an eight percent rate than the

01:23:45.640 ndp did at 12 that shows the benefit of economic growth and expanded fiscal capacity

01:23:56.280 uh i'll allow each of the other two to jump in on on the concerning uh income tax indexation

01:24:03.160 uh mr gene well certainly i think one thing we've learned right now is that vulnerable albertans

01:24:08.760 right across the province are suffering because of inflation and and lack of the indexing by the

01:24:14.200 government and making sure we state of the times is not something i would ever do i think we need

01:24:18.360 to make sure that we keep pace with inflation we keep pace year to year with wages and we have a

01:24:25.240 great opportunity here in front of us and maybe a lot of people haven't seen it but there is a reset

01:24:29.560 right now and not the reset that they're talking about at the waf i reject that but the reset

01:24:33.800 is in wages in alberta and people's income versus what we're paying out inflation is killing us we

01:24:40.040 need to bring people's wages up we need to bring the public service up but we can do it without

01:24:45.080 spending more money as i mentioned right now nurses are 120 of what they get is in overtime

01:24:51.960 we just need to do things smarter we need somebody to reorganize it and fix it and make sure it

01:24:55.880 is directed in the right path and that's me thank you

01:25:03.240 bracket creep was something that we were that i think again canadian taxpayers federation ended

01:25:07.960 years ago and something we were really proud of doing and i think we have to have a return

01:25:12.040 especially for the low income programs for aish and seniors benefit and others it has to it has

01:25:17.320 to come back look guys i told you what my plan would be for increasing revenues it's got to be

01:25:21.960 on something that is sustainable saving our money so that we can put it aside so that we can earn

01:25:26.280 income in an investment in investment income and i think we have to remember that ralph klein

01:25:30.680 protected citizens by making sure that no one could bring in a sales tax without it going to a

01:25:35.880 vote of the people so if there was ever a sales tax that was brought in it would be because

01:25:40.360 you wanted it and i'm not hearing uh any calls for an increase in taxes especially in the situation

01:25:45.720 we find ourselves in now but i am hearing that we've got to make sure we get off this revenue

01:25:50.120 We have done a good job of getting to this point and I

01:25:53.160 commend the government on the corporate income tax

01:25:56.160 reduction.

01:25:57.160 It's clearly worked but we still are over-reliant on

01:26:00.120 those resource revenues and we have to work on

01:26:02.140 making sure we wean ourselves off that

01:26:04.140 reliance.

01:26:10.100 Our next segment is not nearly so

01:26:13.140 interestingly named, it's about social programs.

01:26:16.140 Brian, Mr.

01:26:18.120 Mr. Jean, health care has been an area you've spoke about a lot since you entered provincial

01:26:23.160 politics in 2015. But health care in every Canadian province is broken, not just Alberta.

01:26:29.400 We all spend more than almost anywhere else on the planet and we all have lower than average

01:26:35.720 measurables in health care outcomes than most OECD countries, many of which are poorer. Nobody

01:26:42.040 in Canada has run for office in the last 60 years and not promised to fix health care. But still,

01:26:47.720 no one's done it one key reason might be that all other forms taken are all within the restraints

01:26:53.320 of the canada health act which prohibits individuals from obtaining private insurance

01:26:58.520 for most primary health care would you be willing to go outside of ottawa's health care act in any

01:27:04.520 of your health reforms as premier i would be prepared to i certainly would because health

01:27:09.000 care is 42 of our budget and there's nothing more important than getting it right but we don't need

01:27:12.760 to what we need to do is fix the system we have listen folks i lost my son to health care i lost

01:27:20.760 my son to health care it was negligence but there's no accountability the person that did that

01:27:25.640 the system on them does not even know to this day that what they did killed him two doctors reordered

01:27:32.040 the test two doctors then cancelled that same test a thousand dollar test he was costing ten

01:27:36.920 thousand dollars a day in the hospital i'm passionate about it how am i going to fix it

01:27:41.080 doesn't need to go against canada against canada we can emulate germany they have a great stay at

01:27:47.080 home model that saves 90 and keeps seniors at home that's where they want to be we can look at

01:27:53.400 immediately and i want to do this bring back nurse practitioners there's 700 of them right now ready

01:27:58.280 to go but we haven't given them the legislative opportunity let's bring more nurses in let's make 0.89

01:28:03.480 get rid of the gatekeepers that are controlling how much our doctors and nurses can do and stop

01:28:08.840 under utilizing our equipment thank you we paid for it we should be using it 24 hours a day

01:28:19.880 mr tames would you as premier be willing to go outside of the canada health act in any reforms

01:28:25.400 you know our health care system is broken not only here in the province

01:28:29.560 but right across the country and we're going to have to be courageous enough to look at other

01:28:33.720 health care systems we're going to have to look at systems in europe we're going to have to look

01:28:37.640 at systems switzerland germany and others and we need to operate from a point of fiscal strength

01:28:43.640 because i can't because it's going to be up to alberta to lead in health care reform

01:28:47.880 our system is not sustainable i believe in universal public health care i believe that

01:28:53.480 every canadian every albertan should have access to our health care system but our current system

01:28:58.840 needs deep reform and so i can commit to never contravening the lines of that very constrict

01:29:05.000 restrictive Canada Health Care Act and that's why down the road in the future we need to operate

01:29:10.140 from a position of fiscal strength so as we lead on health care reform in this nation we're able to

01:29:16.220 do it boldly. Ms Smith is the Canada Health Care Health Act a sacred count to you or would you be

01:29:26.580 willing to go outside it? All the changes that we can make we can make within the umbrella of the

01:29:31.500 Canada Health Act.

01:29:32.500 The main thing we have to do is we have to get back to

01:29:34.900 decentralized decision-making.

01:29:37.100 Ross Sherman wasn't allowed in our race, but you know why he got kicked out of the PC

01:29:40.440 party?

01:29:41.440 He didn't want the health super board.

01:29:42.940 He said it was a big mistake, that we couldn't get rid of local oversight and community

01:29:46.960 care.

01:29:47.960 So let's go back to having local hospital boards, but most importantly, we need to get

01:29:51.900 Alberta Health Quality Council to go into a facility audit of every single hospital in

01:29:57.040 Alberta.

01:29:58.040 We've got about 106 of them.

01:29:59.840 What we're hearing is that we have operating rooms that aren't in operation.

01:30:04.620 There's one up in High Prairie where the two operating rooms in a brand new hospital have never been brought into commission.

01:30:10.020 We've got 60% of our long-term care residents waiting for a long-term care placement in acute care beds.

01:30:17.620 That's one of the reasons why we don't have a flow in our hospitals.

01:30:20.720 And we also have to look at, I'm out of time, but ambulance.

01:30:23.720 I'll get back to ambulance.

01:30:26.440 All right.

01:30:27.120 Mr. Taves, replacing the NDP's K-12 curriculum has been met with fierce opposition from the main teachers union, the ATA, and not unexpectedly, the NDP.

01:30:44.600 The process itself has been gummed up with school boards refusing to pilot it and at least one candidate of the UCP opposing it.

01:30:51.560 Do you believe that your government got the curriculum wrong?

01:30:54.060 You know, I believe the direction that we've set in curriculum reform is absolutely essential.

01:31:00.600 I believe that to focus on the core competencies, core disciplines of numeracy, literacy, fact-based education

01:31:07.400 will ensure that the next generation is well prepared for further education or to pursue a career.

01:31:13.760 I also deeply believe that parents are fundamentally responsible for their children's education,

01:31:19.400 and that has to be affirmed.

01:31:24.060 You know, I was in favour as supportive Minister LaGrange in pausing the social studies curriculum

01:31:30.880 to ensure that, you know, the sequencing and timing, that age appropriateness of the material was correct.

01:31:36.920 We need to pause to get it right.

01:31:38.900 But one thing we have to do is take all the activist ideology out of the curriculum.

01:31:44.540 It simply doesn't belong there.

01:31:50.300 Ms Smith.

01:31:52.220 Totally agree.

01:31:52.720 All of the feedback I get from parents comes down to what are my kids learning in school?

01:31:57.340 Almost every parent has a story where their kids come home and they're saying that's not consistent with my values or it's not consistent with if it's the energy sector, with what the reality is in the energy sector.

01:32:08.440 And I think the teachers have to be held accountable for that.

01:32:11.700 What I want to see is if we can have more parental control and direction at the school level so that parents feel like they have some control over giving that sort of feedback.

01:32:21.860 I think the curriculum, the way they've done the pause, I've been hearing that the literacy and math components of the K-3 education is exactly what we need right now.

01:32:31.880 I'm really worried that our kids have fallen behind in school from the last two years.

01:32:36.060 Not everybody can learn well online.

01:32:38.240 We've got mental health issues that we've got to deal with.

01:32:40.860 So I think the pause in the curriculum was a good decision.

01:32:44.340 But now let's test our kids, make sure they're performing at grade level.

01:32:48.080 And if they're not performing at grade level, we've got to put the money in now to make sure that we bring them up so that they can read and write and do math and don't end up falling behind.

01:33:01.940 Mr. Gene, did the government get it wrong on the curriculum?

01:33:04.880 Yes, they did get it wrong.

01:33:07.080 I will tell you, first of all, as a father of a three and a half year old child right now, a little girl, I would not put her in the current public school system because of what's going on.

01:33:14.140 I've raised kids I have a 38 year old as well and I've seen them go through the

01:33:19.000 school system what I would do immediately and what I've told the ATA is

01:33:22.380 that I would slow it down I would make sure we treat it as a pilot project so

01:33:25.880 that teachers who are very important to our communities so teachers can see it

01:33:29.960 over the next year and use it if they want to as they go through it because

01:33:32.680 it's gonna take some time to learn remember we changed everything all of a

01:33:35.920 sudden all the core curriculum courses that's the other thing we need to do

01:33:39.140 let's do once a one curriculum course a year so that we can see predictable

01:33:43.900 changes to our curriculum over time, and teachers know that. Wouldn't that be a surprise? Parents

01:33:48.640 know that. Wouldn't that be a surprise? They have the opportunity. Parents need to always be in

01:33:52.720 charge of their kids' education. That's why we need to make sure we always have choice in education

01:33:57.360 so parents can find the model that fits for them. Also, mental health has to be a component from

01:34:02.300 grades 6 to 12, and I want to talk more about that. Thank you.

01:34:04.680 you're known as a libertarian and well it's pretty common for libertarians to support the

01:34:16.880 decriminalization of narcotics instead focus on treatment and organized crime googling around i

01:34:24.200 came across a rick bell column from 2013 titled wild rose boss talks decriminalization and yes 0.79

01:34:30.460 she smoked once. You said that you supported the decriminalization of cannabis and it was in fact

01:34:37.260 legalized just a few years later but decriminalizing cannabis is different than decriminalizing

01:34:42.540 harder drugs. I'm not putting words in your mouth I'm speaking generally about libertarian

01:34:47.680 suites of issues. The BC government has recently signed an agreement with Ottawa to allow for the

01:34:52.760 effective decriminalization of many drugs including hardcore narcotics such as crack,

01:34:57.580 heroin and methamphetamines, would you as premier consider a similar arrangement to effectively

01:35:03.040 decriminalize other narcotics in Alberta and refocus efforts towards treatment and organized

01:35:11.240 crime? I remember being asked in that interview, I had to call my mom and come clean because I'd

01:35:18.200 never told her that I smoked pot once. I'm glad I can actually admit it now publicly. Part of the

01:35:24.440 reason I supported it is there's a lot of young people who use cannabis recreationally and don't

01:35:29.720 drink and that's just one of their pastimes so I had supported a legalization of cannabis but I

01:35:35.380 don't support it for hard drugs because once you've gotten addicted to hard drugs there is a hard path

01:35:40.460 ahead of you for that and a lot of kids and I've been involved with the Alberta Adolescent Recovery

01:35:45.100 Center in trying to get some of those kids clean and not all of them make it but I would far rather

01:35:50.000 see an approach that once we find somebody who is addicted to hard drugs that we find a way to give

01:35:55.040 them access to that kind of long-term inpatient care treatment it takes about nine months for

01:36:01.280 somebody to get clean from an addiction like that and then we have to have wraparound services at

01:36:06.880 the end so when they get out of treatment they have the ability to go on to a normal life i would

01:36:11.600 far rather focused on treatment than on permissiveness on the hard drugs

01:36:20.320 puff puff pass brian gene well i actually uh don't want to focus on the treatment what i want

01:36:26.160 to do is focus on the prevention and you know what folks folks we have to we have to look at

01:36:33.760 what's happening three overdoses a day three or four suicides a day from our children people on

01:36:39.840 the streets living in conditions that are not acceptable for anybody in our current situation

01:36:46.320 our country our province is amazingly rich and we should be taking care of those people

01:36:50.720 how do we do that if i'm premier i'm immediately going to mandatory 30 minutes a week for grades

01:36:56.560 6 through 12 on mental health and how people reach into a box and grab mental health tools

01:37:02.320 teachers can be trained on these things it's basic mental health skills and each child would

01:37:07.280 have the opportunity to know how to deal with things like depression and suicide death divorces

01:37:13.120 we're we as a society don't take mental health seriously enough i am going to take it very

01:37:18.560 seriously let's focus on prevention not the problem thank you mr tames

01:37:30.560 all right i i would absolutely not be in favor of legalizing hard drugs i wasn't in favor of

01:37:36.160 legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is an entry-level drug and often leads to further

01:37:41.700 drug addiction. And even right now, there's more and more research that shows as marijuana is

01:37:47.440 consumed by our youth, it leads to very serious mental health challenges and physical challenges

01:37:54.580 down the road. My whole effort and approach would be protecting the youth from the use of drugs,

01:38:00.800 the harmful effect of drugs, full stop, that includes marijuana use, but that especially

01:38:05.800 includes hard drugs. We absolutely have to protect our youth. And yes, treatment's important

01:38:11.220 because we do have an addictions issue in this province. We need to ensure that we have enough

01:38:16.560 treatment spaces. We promised Albertans 4,000 treatment spaces. We're now delivering 8,000

01:38:22.980 treatment spaces. Friends, we have to bring those that are caught in the cycle of addiction up out

01:38:28.880 of that cycle, that's our moral duty.

01:38:35.760 Our final segment is a just Alberta.

01:38:40.320 Mr. Gene, in 2018, Okotoks rancher Eddie Maurice was charged by the RCMP for shooting

01:38:47.040 and wounding Ryan Watson, who was stealing from his property.

01:38:50.600 After massive legal bills and public outrage, the case against Mr. Maurice was eventually

01:38:55.780 dismissed.

01:38:56.360 Nearly two years later, Ryan Watson actually sued Eddie Maurice, although that court action eventually failed.

01:39:04.520 In fact, I believe Mr. Maurice is actually here today.

01:39:09.160 Stand up, Eddie, if you're here.

01:39:10.100 There we go.

01:39:10.720 Where is he?

01:39:13.900 Ryan Watson was later charged with possession of stolen property, possession of drugs, failure to attend court.

01:39:24.560 and just two months ago was charged again in Strathmore with breaking and entry, theft, and a number of other crimes.

01:39:32.080 But in 2018, it was Mr. Maurice who was deemed by the RCMP to be the real criminal

01:39:37.960 and faced by far the most severe legal charges.

01:39:42.560 What would you do as Premier to protect the right of self-defense

01:39:46.480 and to shield people like Mr. Maurice from prosecution?

01:39:50.960 Thanks for the question.

01:39:51.920 Well, first of all, there is the opportunity for self-defense.

01:39:54.340 now it's in the criminal code which is governed of course by the federal government and they decide

01:39:57.940 what goes in that criminal code i spent three years on the justice committee so i did have

01:40:01.540 some opportunity to see what happens and i will tell you what really bothers me here is that he

01:40:05.060 had to do that in the first place if we had enough police officers in rural alberta he wouldn't have

01:40:09.380 had to and now we're talking with other people on the stage and other people that are in this 0.92

01:40:13.700 leadership race about getting rid of the rcmp in rural alberta 71 communities don't want to get rid

01:40:18.180 of it why are we not listening to them folks we don't have enough police officers now we can have

01:40:23.060 a hybrid model we can have provincial police we can have city police which we have now and we can

01:40:27.380 have the rcmp and more officers on the street but what we also need to do as a province is make sure

01:40:32.500 that when our rcps actually find somebody they can pursue them right now we have a mandate from

01:40:37.860 the provincial government saying no pursuit no pursuit can you believe no pursuit i think it's

01:40:43.620 crazy go get them guys that's what i would do

01:40:52.420 so i promised the candidates my very next full question is about police

01:40:58.020 uh but i want to focus on self-defense uh in this particular

01:41:02.660 um and protecting albertans from prosecution to engage in self-defense

01:41:09.380 uh well smith i thought you were asking me again

01:41:13.620 Okay, I think ultimately because the Crown dropped the charges, that shows us that they didn't think they'd be able to get a conviction.

01:41:25.500 That says to me that in Alberta, we have a cultural difference than what they might have in urban Toronto.

01:41:32.820 And as a result, we do our policing a bit differently and we do our prosecutions a bit differently.

01:41:37.700 I regret that Eddie had to go through that because I think they could have stalled that out.

01:41:42.480 They could have looked at the circumstances and chosen not to prosecute rather than put him through the circumstance that he did.

01:41:48.340 But the bigger issue is why do we not have an effective RCMP police response?

01:41:53.340 And I have RCMP in my community.

01:41:55.380 I told you about the gun grab.

01:41:56.820 I didn't tell you that they also closed my detachment down at 10 o'clock at night.

01:42:00.120 So when Raj and Bob have their store shop lifted, it takes a neighbor to sit on the chest of somebody until the Okotoks detachment sends somebody in.

01:42:08.400 We are not getting good service in rural Alberta.

01:42:10.780 You may not feel that way in Calgary.

01:42:12.480 but I can tell you that we have to do a better job

01:42:14.880 and I believe in Alberta Provincial Police will do it.

01:42:17.180 It's why we need to bring them in.

01:42:27.460 Mr. Tabes, I promise the next question will be about police,

01:42:31.200 but this question is about self-defense and prosecution of people who engage in it,

01:42:36.300 like Mr. Maurice.

01:42:37.400 Sure, I do think the question is linked a little bit.

01:42:41.020 Answers are linked.

01:42:41.720 I recall back in the day when Mr. Maurice was basically cleared of any criminal activity.

01:42:51.200 That was a good day for Albertans, but Eddie shouldn't have had to have gone through all of that.

01:42:56.160 He shouldn't have had to have gone through all of that to defend his property.

01:43:00.040 Right now in Alberta, rural crime is an issue, and it's a complicated issue, but it's an issue.

01:43:05.140 And that's why I believe it does intersect with an Alberta police service.

01:43:08.800 I'm on record as supporting an Alberta Police Service for the very reasons that the RCMP, I believe, have a culture of risk aversion that undermines enforcement in rural Alberta.

01:43:19.320 There's also a shroud of bureaucracy within the RCMP that undermines enforcement in rural Alberta.

01:43:25.500 I believe in Alberta Police Service, a service that answers to Albertans, will be more effective at reducing rural crime.

01:43:31.940 well i promised you were going to talk about police now we're going to talk about police

01:43:41.960 um mr tapes in 20 the 2020 fair deal panel recommended that alberta should replace

01:43:49.900 the rcmp with its own police force the government said that it would study the idea but no action

01:43:54.960 has been taken beyond that study during the campaign you've said and you literally just

01:43:59.740 said again you support uh the move uh but the cabinet in which you're you were in has not acted

01:44:05.820 as premier when would the studies end and the transition to an alberta police force start

01:44:11.360 yeah i i would commit to immediately work with municipalities to bring them along because you

01:44:16.600 know municipalities are partners in in enforcement right across rural alberta and i believe there's

01:44:22.080 a great business case and a great case from an enforcement standpoint from a rural crime

01:44:27.180 reduction standpoint to be made. I would start that process immediately because an Alberta Police

01:44:33.140 Service, I believe, could again operate more effectively, efficiently and without that culture

01:44:38.120 of bureaucracy that creates a glacial response for RCMP members and without that deep culture

01:44:45.200 of risk aversion that I believe undermines enforcement. Look, our ranch was robbed about

01:44:50.160 six weeks ago. A couple of side-by-sides, a quad, a shop full of tools right in the middle of calving

01:44:55.720 season rural crime is an issue we need to take real action and alberta police service is part

01:45:00.920 of the remedy miss smith you've said just now and before that uh well there we speak of the devil

01:45:14.760 every time she wants to talk you've uh and response times are better in downtown calgary

01:45:20.920 um you've said you support an alberta police force replacing the rcmp

01:45:25.080 well let's talk details yeah when would that transition begin when would you give notice

01:45:30.600 to ottawa that you're ending the contract with the rcmp and when would we expect to start seeing

01:45:36.520 an alberta police force in rural alberta well i took a look at our ucp policy book and i believe

01:45:42.920 our we get our direction from our members and our members have told us that they want an alberta

01:45:47.240 provincial police to either augment or replace our rcmp so why don't we start with augmentation

01:45:54.200 and start right away and i can tell you where i would start stationing uh our alberta provincial

01:45:59.080 police number one is that if you've ever been to hardesty i know that travis was there earlier

01:46:05.000 today this is a place where 110 billion dollars worth of value goes through our tank farms they've

01:46:10.840 shut down their school they've shut down their hospital and they don't have an rcmp detachment

01:46:14.520 any closer than 45 minutes away can you imagine i have to wonder how many other communities in

01:46:19.400 in rural Alberta are underserviced that way.

01:46:22.020 That would be the place that I would begin.

01:46:24.000 I would also like to see our RCM,

01:46:25.860 our Alberta Provincial Police trained

01:46:27.820 in being able to respond to mental health

01:46:29.900 and addiction calls because that's

01:46:31.900 50% or more of the calls that they're

01:46:33.720 responding to now. And we've had three tragedies

01:46:36.060 in Calgary about an

01:46:37.640 inappropriately aggressive response.

01:46:39.900 If we can start training our Alberta Provincial

01:46:41.800 Police in that kind of response, they can

01:46:43.700 help out in Calgary and have a team too.

01:46:49.400 Mr. Jean, you've been a bit more tepid in your position on replacing the RCMP.

01:46:54.700 You said you want to leave it in place, but create more of an auxiliary force that could be used by small urban municipalities.

01:47:02.920 Perhaps I'm mischaracterizing.

01:47:04.520 No, I believe in freedom of choice.

01:47:06.260 My theme of my campaign is autonomy, autonomy for Albertans.

01:47:09.460 Freedom of choice means why don't we let the rural municipalities decide if they want a premium service that costs them $250,000 a officer?

01:47:18.880 Why don't we decide that?

01:47:19.740 Because this is about money, folks.

01:47:21.660 This is about money.

01:47:22.500 They cost a lot less, provincial police forces.

01:47:24.580 But I believe in autonomy.

01:47:25.540 If they want to spend their budget on a RCMP officer, why don't we let them?

01:47:29.660 I can see, over time, a move towards a provincial police force.

01:47:33.980 I can see that.

01:47:34.740 I don't have a problem with that.

01:47:35.780 But let's make sure we have enough police.

01:47:38.260 And let's not tear them out of the rural communities that want them.

01:47:41.200 I'm sure the 71 communities that signed that letter are serious about it or else they wouldn't have signed it.

01:47:46.140 why are we dividing rural and urban we're in calgary here folks if you want the city police

01:47:51.120 in calgary you got them keep them but let us keep the rcmp if we want them okay thank you

01:47:57.240 freedom of choice thank you all right i want to finish us off with a nice easy topic that

01:48:07.180 shouldn't have anyone too angry at each other so we can all be friends again okay

01:48:11.260 let's talk about abortion

01:48:13.440 i'm pretty sure i know what you're all gonna say it's federal jurisdiction i promise not to touch

01:48:22.120 it province can't do anything anyhow okay we've got that out of the way so let's talk about what

01:48:28.080 does fall directly under alberta's jurisdiction before the last election the ndp passed a so-called

01:48:34.440 abortion bubble zone law that banned any kind of protest within 150 meters of an abortion clinic

01:48:41.020 even though harassment of that kind that they cited was clearly already illegal.

01:48:46.380 At the time, the UCP caucus refused to vote on the bill.

01:48:50.240 In the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,

01:48:52.280 the NDP have called for the building of many more abortion clinics across Alberta.

01:48:57.440 On the other side, pro-life groups have said that the Alberta government

01:49:00.680 should not be spending taxpayers' money on elective abortions.

01:49:05.420 Ms. Smith, as Premier, would you maintain the NDP's no-protest legislation,

01:49:12.820 and would you remove taxpayer funding of elective abortions?

01:49:17.860 Look, guys, I know that this is a very heated issue,

01:49:20.560 and I don't think that we find a solution where we can find some common ground

01:49:27.140 by having these points of conflict like this.

01:49:30.080 I have spent my whole career trying to find ways that libertarians and social conservatives can find areas that they agree on.

01:49:38.620 So I would hope that we would not have to revisit that issue because I think that that creates an environment of conflict which can escalate because you're dealing with a very sensitive issue of life.

01:49:50.400 My view is that we need to be focused on what was the original promise was that abortion would be safe, legal and rare.

01:49:58.160 and I would like to see us spend more time and effort in supporting women to

01:50:03.560 make a different choice with adoption I think that's the way that you I think

01:50:09.260 that's the way that you unite there's a lot of families I know one in southern

01:50:13.340 Alberta who has spent fifty thousand dollars doing a private adoption if we

01:50:17.780 can make sure that women know that there's that option available I think 0.89

01:50:21.600 that that's the way that we can invite it unite our choice movement and our life 0.99

01:50:24.800 movement. Okay. Mr. Tabes, would you repeal the no protesting legislation and would you ever

01:50:36.440 consider removing taxpayer funding of the elective abortions? What I would, well, what I'll say right

01:50:42.880 off the bat, and I'm happy to say this every time I'm asked, my personal position on abortion,

01:50:49.560 my personal view would put me in the pro-life camp. And I'm happy to legitimize that position

01:50:54.320 every time I'm asked. But I recognize it's a complicated issue and there's passionate positions

01:50:59.020 held by really good people right across the spectrum. So I would do a number of things. I

01:51:04.520 would focus on expanding conscience rights for health care providers so that health care

01:51:10.120 providers don't have to ultimately undertake services and activities that breach their

01:51:15.960 conscience. I would also further support expectant mothers, especially mothers who might find

01:51:21.160 themselves with an unintended pregnancy and i would look to make abortion or pardon me i would

01:51:26.420 look to make adoption far more streamlined so that children who need a good home can find a

01:51:32.720 good home with loving parents that would be my approach

01:51:35.300 last softball question to you mr gene would you as premier repeal the no protest legislation and

01:51:46.720 would you ever consider removing the taxpayer funding of elective abortions?

01:51:51.640 The number one priority of government is to keep the public safe.

01:51:54.900 And public policy would be, in this particular case,

01:51:57.920 to not have conflict between two groups that have conflict on a constant basis.

01:52:01.480 And I think removing that would see constant problems,

01:52:04.280 and I would not remove that.

01:52:05.980 I am pro-life as well.

01:52:07.360 I lost a child, and I tell you, if you want to be pro-life,

01:52:09.800 that's the situation that will make you pro-life.

01:52:12.140 And I think that we should do exactly what these two people have said.

01:52:14.980 But I've come forward with a concrete plan on this.

01:52:17.500 I think we should, I've done adoptions.

01:52:19.300 They take two years, three years sometimes to do an adoption where everybody's in favor of it.

01:52:22.600 Why are we doing that?

01:52:23.560 Why are we not providing more supports for the people that are actually doing the adoptions? 0.90

01:52:28.440 Let's quicken them up.

01:52:29.940 Three months. 1.00

01:52:30.640 Let's have a special judge do that. 0.98

01:52:31.940 I can get that done.

01:52:32.980 I know how to get that done, folks.

01:52:34.500 One special judge, just like a surrogate judge that hears them by phone.

01:52:38.040 These can be done.

01:52:38.740 They don't need to see them in person.

01:52:39.760 They don't have to wait for them to come.

01:52:41.140 Safety nets for young mothers.

01:52:42.780 That's where I want to focus. 0.80

01:52:43.780 let's make sure that people have another option they can finish school they can go to work they

01:52:48.820 can do what they need the government needs to supply housing and education for these people

01:52:52.780 thank you thank you you guys have been pretty good we're right on time that must be you well

01:53:02.360 uh one minute closing statement each i'll try not to interrupt you with more questions uh mr

01:53:10.240 travis taves first closing statement to you one minute sure good well thank you all for your

01:53:15.020 engagement tonight engagement matters thank you for being committed to this movement because this

01:53:20.080 movement has the solutions for the province it's fundamentally important that we remain united and

01:53:25.520 that we elect a leader who can win in 2023 that we elect a leader that exercises sound judgment

01:53:33.360 to keep this party together to ensure that we can deliver good government and be albertans best

01:53:40.040 choice in 2023 i believe right now we need stable responsible proven leadership friends that's the

01:53:47.560 leadership i will provide and i'm confident that if we can elect that type of leader we can be

01:53:54.280 successful in 23 and based on everything i could see from my vantage point as the minister of

01:54:00.600 finance if we do that friends alberta's best days are ahead let's seize this moment let's

01:54:06.840 seize this opportunity together.

01:54:15.800 Next closing statement to Danielle Smith.

01:54:18.100 One minute.

01:54:19.300 Thanks so much, Derek.

01:54:20.460 I think if we wanted to have the same kind of leadership we've had over the last three

01:54:24.860 years, we wouldn't be in the middle of a leadership race.

01:54:27.780 There is a time when we want stability.

01:54:30.440 Absolutely there is.

01:54:31.520 But there is also a time when we need to fight.

01:54:33.900 And now is a time that we need to fight.

01:54:35.420 We have Ottawa who has imposed economic sanctions on us. In November of 2015, they're the ones who started a constitutional crisis. Every single time we have tried to battle it, whether it's been through writing letters or trying to be diplomatic or sending a delegation or going through court, we have been given the door. It's been slammed in our face.

01:54:56.820 The latest one with the equalization referendum, they gave us Stephen Gilboa, probably the most anti-oil and gas and anti-fertilizer environment minister we could ever possibly imagine.

01:55:07.360 We need someone who's going to be tough with Ottawa.

01:55:09.520 I have been an opposition leader.

01:55:11.160 You know that I can be tough.

01:55:12.560 I don't want to be tough with my colleagues here.

01:55:14.160 I love fighting liberals more than I like fighting conservatives.

01:55:17.500 So vote for me, and we'll put Alberta first.

01:55:26.820 And the final closing statement to Brian Jean, one minute.

01:55:33.640 Thank you very much for inviting me here tonight.

01:55:36.000 The theme of my campaign is autonomy for Albertans.

01:55:39.180 I'm pushing for more autonomy because that's the tool that we use to get Albertans happier, healthier, more free and more prosperous.

01:55:48.120 Folks, these aren't just words.

01:55:50.160 This can be done.

01:55:51.240 It is entirely possible.

01:55:53.120 And autonomy is the tool that gets Albertans these great things.

01:55:56.360 Let's fight injustice in Ottawa.

01:55:58.540 Let's fix the Constitution.

01:56:00.140 That's what it's there for.

01:56:01.060 It's the agreement that governs us all.

01:56:03.100 We need to open it up in order to fix what ails us here in Alberta and across the country.

01:56:07.780 Let's ensure Albertans have more control over their own affairs.

01:56:10.740 Let's renew this party, revitalize it, and make sure that we are in a position to take down the NDP in the next election.

01:56:17.180 Because I don't like liberals, but I like NDP members even less.

01:56:21.760 I'm the guy to fight the NDP.

01:56:22.940 I know Rachel Notley, and I will make sure that she does not win the next election.

01:56:26.920 Let's return to civility and start treating each other with respect again.

01:56:30.820 Let's get this done, folks.

01:56:32.340 BrianJean.ca, I will get it done for you.

01:56:35.140 Thank you.

01:56:41.780 All right, thank you very much.

01:56:43.140 If the candidates could just take back your stools here for one moment,

01:56:46.500 and we'll be wrapping up.

01:56:52.940 just one moment what a fantastic debate let's give all the candidates around thank you for coming

01:57:04.540 tonight we saw the three frontrunners for the leadership of the united conservative party

01:57:17.080 laid out for us i hope that tonight's debate will help those of you here and those of you

01:57:21.640 watching at home, make a more educated choice about who you believe is best fit to lead Alberta.

01:57:27.560 I also want to thank our sponsors one last time, the Alberta Community and Cooperative Association,

01:57:32.620 Credit Unions Alberta, and the Canadian Shooting Sports Association.

01:57:36.300 Please give them a round, because without them there would be no debate tonight.

01:57:42.560 And while I've got you captive for another moment, I want to remind those of you who are not yet

01:57:46.900 members of the Western Standard that you should be. The Western Standard is Alberta-based,

01:57:51.420 and we refuse to take a penny of the federal government's media bailout.

01:57:57.180 We rely on the free transaction of money from people who wish to purchase a product that we create.

01:58:03.040 I call it capitalism.

01:58:05.260 And speaking of capitalism, tonight's venue, Rooftub YYC, is a good locally owned Calgary business

01:58:11.180 and they have very, very generously given us the space for tonight

01:58:15.400 on the condition that I promise that all of you would live up to your reputation as Alberta conservatives

01:58:20.680 and drink a lot of beer.

01:58:24.440 So please, stay for supper, order some drinks,

01:58:26.680 and enjoy some fellowship.

01:58:29.620 Candidates, please stick around

01:58:31.020 so that you can scrum with the friendly local Calgary media here tonight.

01:58:35.600 Thank you all for joining us.

01:58:37.080 God bless Alberta.

01:58:50.680 Thank you.

Western Standard - August 10, 2022

UCP Front Runners Debate by Western Standard

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