As conservatives, we have a consequential decision to make that will set the course for our province for decades to come..Our province has been through a lot in the last three years. None of us could have foreseen the COVID-19 situation which started barely 10 months into our government’s term. It is also clear that the vast majority of the so-called public health experts did not know how to create an appropriate level of response..What we saw was the politicization of public health by left-leaning political parties and operators who saw it as an opportunity for their so-called ‘great reset’ (quoting our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau) and radical control that led to unprecedented violations of our citizens’ privacy and fundamental human rights and freedoms..My position then and now has always been that government must tread cautiously and must not use the pandemic to indiscriminately violate our rights and freedoms. It is no secret that I never supported the lockdowns, vaccine mandates, or the vaccine passport. Danielle Smith agrees with this and has been consistent from day one that we cannot have lockdowns and mandates that have been harmful to our people, including children, and economy..We need a leader like Danielle who is willing to make the right call on future lockdowns. She is against them and so am I..The second reason I support Danielle was regarding her firm and very public stance on the arrest of pastors and lockdown of churches. When I saw pastors arrested and places of worship barricaded, I was angry. We should never have allowed these decisions to happen in Alberta, of all places..The right to religious freedom and, by extension, places of worship is one of the few institutions protected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Government must exercise great caution before they can limit this fundamental protection, and it does not matter whether there are loud voices calling for its curtailment. This was a failure on our part, and we must ensure this never happens again. In my judgment, there is no better way of sending the strongest message that this will never happen again than electing the most consistent and principled leadership candidate on this issue..The third reason I am supporting Danielle is because of her commitment to legislate the Alberta Sovereignty Act as her very first piece of legislation this fall. I have carefully listened to alternative approaches to fighting for Alberta and not one comes close. The Alberta Sovereignty Act is very timely. Alberta has spent the past seven years trying to consult and negotiate with the federal Liberal government. All it has gotten us are the carbon tax, the “no-more-pipelines” Bill C-69, the tanker ban Bill C-48, a massive referendum that has not gone anywhere, constant ongoing attacks on our resource sector, and the proposed fertilizer cut that will devastate our farm produce and make food production more expensive, and much more..Alberta’s approach to the federal government’s constant attacks has not worked and now we must try something different. Alberta must now lead and ensure it responds forcefully to a federal government that is obsessed with intruding into Alberta’s exclusive jurisdictions. Quebec has masterfully done this, and Saskatchewan is seeking to do the same. Alberta cannot wait!.Finally, on the ballot questions for this leadership race: of fighting for and protecting our province, ensuring that our rights and freedom are never again indiscriminately violated, ensuring conservative unity, and making sure that we do not ever return to mandates and lockdowns, Danielle Smith stands out..I urge our members to unite around Danielle Smith and I ask all Albertans to join me in electing Danielle as our next premier. She has my full support, and I am proud to stand with her.
