It turned feisty at the Western Standard UCP Leadership Frontrunners Debate Tuesday night as Travis Toews blamed Danielle Smith for the election of the NDP government in Alberta..Smith shot back demanding Toews apologize for his role in the Jason Kenney government that brought in numerous lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic..Toews claimed that when Smith crossed the floor on December 17, 2014 to join the Jim Prentice government, she set the province back a decade and ensured a NDP government for Alberta..The debate was standing room only as 400 people jammed the downtown Calgary Rooftop YYC for the only UCP leadership debate in the city..While the crowd warmly welcomed Brian Jean and Toews, it erupted with a standing ovation when Smith was introduced..Several times Toews endured the wrath of hecklers, who were quickly shut down by the moderator, Derek Fildebrandt, publisher of the Western Standard..However, despite the bickering, the consensus was clear between Smith, Jean and Toews, the UCP needs to unite to fight Ottawa and beat NDP leader Rachel Notley in the next election in Alberta..Overall 20 questions were asked and included topics of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, equalization, freedom of the press, gun laws, party nominations and COVID-19 decisions..During the debate, Toews also refused to reveal how he voted on the expulsion of MLAs Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes from the UCP caucus..Smith and Toews said they would maintain the industrial carbon tax while Jean waffled and said if industry wants to get rid of it then that would be good..Healthcare was also a main topic of debate. ."Our healthcare system is broken not only here in the province, but right across the country," Toews said.."And we're gonna have to be courageous enough to look at other healthcare systems. We're going to have to look at systems in Europe we're gonna have to look at systems Switzerland, Germany and others. And we need to operate from a point of fiscal strength because it's gonna be up to Alberta to lead in health care report. our system is not sustainable. I believe in universal public health care. I believe that every Canadian should have access to our health system. and our current system needs deep reform.".Jean said, "What we need to do is fix the system we have."."We can emulate Germany, they have a great stay at home model that saves 90% And keep seniors at home and that's where they want to be," Jean said. "."We can look at that immediately and what I want to do this bring back nurse practitioners, there are 700 of them right now ready to go. But we haven't given them the legislative opportunity. Let's bring more nurses in let's make get rid of the gatekeepers that are controlling how much our doctors and nurses make stop under utilizing our equipment.".Smith said: "We can make changes within the umbrella of the Canada Health Act. The main thing that we have to do is we have to get back to decentralized decision making."."Raj Sherman wasn't allowed in our race but you know why he got kicked out of the PC party? He didn't want the health super board. He said it was a big mistake that we couldn't get rid of local oversight and community care. So let's go back to having local hospital boards but most importantly, we need to get Alberta Health Quality council to go into a facility audit of every single hospital in Alberta."."We've got about 106 of them. Because what we're hearing is that we have have operating rooms that aren't in in operation. There's one up in High Prairie where the two operating rooms are in a brand new hospital have never been brought into condition. We've got 60% of our long term care residents are waiting for for for long term care placement in acute care beds.".Taxpayer funding of elective abortions was also debated by the three UCP leadership candidates.."I know that this is a very heated issue," Smith said.."And I don't think that we find a solution where we can find some common ground. By having these points of conflict like this. I have spent my my whole career trying to find ways that libertarians and social conservatives can find areas that they agree on."."My view is that we need to be focused on what was the original promise, which was that abortion would be safe, legal and rare. And I would like to see us spend more time and effort in supporting women to make a different choice with adoption," Smith said.."I think that's the way that you unite. There's a lot of families I know one in southern Alberta who spent $50,000 doing a private adoption, if we can make sure that women know that there's that option available and that's a way that we can unite our choice movement in our life movement.".Toews said: "What I'll say right off the bat, and I'm happy to say this. Every time I'm asked my personal position on abortion, my personal view would put me in the pro life camp."."I'm happy to legitimize that position every time I'm asked, but I recognize it's a complicated issue. And there's passionate positions held by really good people right across the spectrum. So I would do a number of things I would focus on expanding conscience rights for health care providers, so that the health care providers can don't have to ultimately undertake services and activities that breach their conscience."."I would offer there's something connected mothers, especially mothers who might find themselves with an unintended pregnancy and I wouldn't look to make adoption far more streamlined so that children who need a good home can find a good home with loving parents. That would be my approach," Toews said..Jean said: "The number one priority as a government is to keep the public safe and public policy would be in this particular case to not have conflict between two groups that have conflict on a constant basis."."I think removing that I wouldn't see constant problems and I would not remove that. I am pro life as well. I lost his child and I tell you if you want to be pro life, that's that's the situation that will make you pro life. And I think that we should do exactly what these two people said. I've come forward with a concrete plan on this."."I've done adoptions they take two years, three years, sometimes student adoption where everybody's favorite but why are we doing that? Why are we not providing more support for the people that are actually doing the adoptions? Let's quicken them up. Three months, let's have a special judge so that I can get that done. I know how to get that done, folks," Jean said.."One special judge just like a surrogate judge that hears them, like these can be done over the phone. They don't need to see them in person. We don't have to wait for them to come. Let's provide a safety net for young mothers. That's where I want to focus. Let's make sure that people have another option. They can finish school, they can go to work. They can do what they need."
It turned feisty at the Western Standard UCP Leadership Frontrunners Debate Tuesday night as Travis Toews blamed Danielle Smith for the election of the NDP government in Alberta..Smith shot back demanding Toews apologize for his role in the Jason Kenney government that brought in numerous lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic..Toews claimed that when Smith crossed the floor on December 17, 2014 to join the Jim Prentice government, she set the province back a decade and ensured a NDP government for Alberta..The debate was standing room only as 400 people jammed the downtown Calgary Rooftop YYC for the only UCP leadership debate in the city..While the crowd warmly welcomed Brian Jean and Toews, it erupted with a standing ovation when Smith was introduced..Several times Toews endured the wrath of hecklers, who were quickly shut down by the moderator, Derek Fildebrandt, publisher of the Western Standard..However, despite the bickering, the consensus was clear between Smith, Jean and Toews, the UCP needs to unite to fight Ottawa and beat NDP leader Rachel Notley in the next election in Alberta..Overall 20 questions were asked and included topics of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, equalization, freedom of the press, gun laws, party nominations and COVID-19 decisions..During the debate, Toews also refused to reveal how he voted on the expulsion of MLAs Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes from the UCP caucus..Smith and Toews said they would maintain the industrial carbon tax while Jean waffled and said if industry wants to get rid of it then that would be good..Healthcare was also a main topic of debate. ."Our healthcare system is broken not only here in the province, but right across the country," Toews said.."And we're gonna have to be courageous enough to look at other healthcare systems. We're going to have to look at systems in Europe we're gonna have to look at systems Switzerland, Germany and others. And we need to operate from a point of fiscal strength because it's gonna be up to Alberta to lead in health care report. our system is not sustainable. I believe in universal public health care. I believe that every Canadian should have access to our health system. and our current system needs deep reform.".Jean said, "What we need to do is fix the system we have."."We can emulate Germany, they have a great stay at home model that saves 90% And keep seniors at home and that's where they want to be," Jean said. "."We can look at that immediately and what I want to do this bring back nurse practitioners, there are 700 of them right now ready to go. But we haven't given them the legislative opportunity. Let's bring more nurses in let's make get rid of the gatekeepers that are controlling how much our doctors and nurses make stop under utilizing our equipment.".Smith said: "We can make changes within the umbrella of the Canada Health Act. The main thing that we have to do is we have to get back to decentralized decision making."."Raj Sherman wasn't allowed in our race but you know why he got kicked out of the PC party? He didn't want the health super board. He said it was a big mistake that we couldn't get rid of local oversight and community care. So let's go back to having local hospital boards but most importantly, we need to get Alberta Health Quality council to go into a facility audit of every single hospital in Alberta."."We've got about 106 of them. Because what we're hearing is that we have have operating rooms that aren't in in operation. There's one up in High Prairie where the two operating rooms are in a brand new hospital have never been brought into condition. We've got 60% of our long term care residents are waiting for for for long term care placement in acute care beds.".Taxpayer funding of elective abortions was also debated by the three UCP leadership candidates.."I know that this is a very heated issue," Smith said.."And I don't think that we find a solution where we can find some common ground. By having these points of conflict like this. I have spent my my whole career trying to find ways that libertarians and social conservatives can find areas that they agree on."."My view is that we need to be focused on what was the original promise, which was that abortion would be safe, legal and rare. And I would like to see us spend more time and effort in supporting women to make a different choice with adoption," Smith said.."I think that's the way that you unite. There's a lot of families I know one in southern Alberta who spent $50,000 doing a private adoption, if we can make sure that women know that there's that option available and that's a way that we can unite our choice movement in our life movement.".Toews said: "What I'll say right off the bat, and I'm happy to say this. Every time I'm asked my personal position on abortion, my personal view would put me in the pro life camp."."I'm happy to legitimize that position every time I'm asked, but I recognize it's a complicated issue. And there's passionate positions held by really good people right across the spectrum. So I would do a number of things I would focus on expanding conscience rights for health care providers, so that the health care providers can don't have to ultimately undertake services and activities that breach their conscience."."I would offer there's something connected mothers, especially mothers who might find themselves with an unintended pregnancy and I wouldn't look to make adoption far more streamlined so that children who need a good home can find a good home with loving parents. That would be my approach," Toews said..Jean said: "The number one priority as a government is to keep the public safe and public policy would be in this particular case to not have conflict between two groups that have conflict on a constant basis."."I think removing that I wouldn't see constant problems and I would not remove that. I am pro life as well. I lost his child and I tell you if you want to be pro life, that's that's the situation that will make you pro life. And I think that we should do exactly what these two people said. I've come forward with a concrete plan on this."."I've done adoptions they take two years, three years, sometimes student adoption where everybody's favorite but why are we doing that? Why are we not providing more support for the people that are actually doing the adoptions? Let's quicken them up. Three months, let's have a special judge so that I can get that done. I know how to get that done, folks," Jean said.."One special judge just like a surrogate judge that hears them, like these can be done over the phone. They don't need to see them in person. We don't have to wait for them to come. Let's provide a safety net for young mothers. That's where I want to focus. Let's make sure that people have another option. They can finish school, they can go to work. They can do what they need."