Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn is being welcomed back into the UCP fold..He was punted from caucus in January after fleeing the chilly climes of Alberta for some sun and sand in Mexico at a time when the rest of the province was shut down from COVID-19, with a travel advisory over everyone’s head..Before the UCP Snowbird Scandal, Rehn was already in trouble with some of his constituents – with the mayor and entire council of Slave Lake calling on their MLA to resign in an open letter..Rehn was one of numerous UCP snowbird MLAs who jetted out of the province over the holidays tweeting a picture of himself from a cave in Mexico, one of the moves that kicked off the entire scandal..Kenney’s letter at the time stated he fired Rehn and that he will not be allowed to seek a UCP nomination in the future, however, the UCP constitution states that removal from caucus is a power for the caucus as a whole, not the leader, and that disqualification for a nomination must be made by the party, not the leader alone..Kenney’s statement did not cite the Snowbird Scandal as a contributing reason for his removal, only that he was absent from his constituency..He said Rehn “has made no meaningful effort to be more present in his constituency or to properly represent his hard-working constituents.”.Kenney said Rehn had “ignored” calls to be more present in Slave Lake..But UCP Caucus Chair Nathan Neudorf said Rehn has worked “tirelessly to rebuild trust with local families, businesses, elected officials and indigenous leaders.”.Neudorf said caucus was presented with letters of support – including from several municipalities and the Lesser Slave Lake Constituency Association – requesting Rehn be allowed to rejoin caucus..“Pat has been doing an incredible amount of work to rebuild trust and get things done in his constituency. He has learned to apply the skills that made him so successful in business to his job as MLA, and he has reminded all of us why he was elected in the first place,” Neudorf said..Rehn said: “The past six months have been eye-opening to me, as I worked to regain the trust and confidence of my constituents. It was clear that I was not living up to expectations in representing Lesser Slave Lake, and for that I am sorry..“I am humbled that people are willing to give me a second chance, and I will not let them down.”.In a withering letter to Rehn in January, the Slave Lake council alleged a litany of problems they have had with him..The town, with a population of 6,500, 255 km northeast of Edmonton, made public a laundry list of complaints against Rehn, including missed meetings and failure to represent the area for economic development..They claim Rehn, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, doesn’t even live in Alberta (or Canada), saying he resides in Texas..“When COVID-19 began and the Canadian government said Canadians need to get home, you were in the United States. Since that time, you have made multiple trips abroad. In fact, right now, as our businesses suffer and many of our people aren’t working, you still aren’t here.,” said the letter signed by Mayor Tyler Warman and six other councilors.In fact, the council claims the UCP government was aware of Rehn’s performance and had asked other MLAs to pick up his work..In the letter, the council alleged the following problems with Rehn:.• Shortly after you were elected MLA, you decided to no longer reside in the constituency..• Lack of time spent in the constituency engaging with residents and elected leaders. In fact, you have yet to even meet with some of the region’s elected leaders..• Since your election, you have spent more physical time managing your business in Texas than being physically present in our Region..• Multiple missed meetings and lack of preparation for meetings that do happen..• Missing a meeting with local leaders and the justice minister (regarding a spike in local crime) so you could attend an oilfield expo in Fort McMurray for your business..• Missed a meeting with the housing minister for a $4 million housing project that has been years in the works, but again, you could not be bothered to show up on our behalf to help move the project forward. This meeting was scheduled by your government..The council’s note concludes “we have an MLA that does not represent the people of this region. This lack of representation can be directly attributed to the fact that you don’t reside here, spend little time here, and have failed to “know” the people you represent. .“As such, we have lost faith that you have the ability and the desire to undertake the work which is required of an MLA. On behalf of the Town of Slave Lake and those we represent, we are asking for your resignation as MLA for the Lesser Slave Lake constituency.”.Rehn put up a Facebook statement defending himself..“It’s disappointing to see some municipal officials seizing on this to try and sow political division at this difficult time,” Rehn wrote.“To be clear, I have residences in Slave Lake and Edmonton. I do not own any property in Texas whatsoever. Yes, I do continue to own businesses; businesses that are fully disclosed and compliant with Alberta’s Ethics Commissioner. And yes, I have needed to travel to Texas within the past year to address essential business matters..“I, of course, complied with all health requirements when doing so. It is the honour of a lifetime to represent a region I have lived and worked in since I bought my first quarter-section of trees and also my first sawmill in Wabasca using every penny I had in the bank. I will continue representing Lesser Slave Lake, the region I love and call home.”.The full letter from Slave Lake council can be found here..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby769
