Interim Alberta Progressive Conservative leader Ric McIver says the party is on the road to recovery following their devastating loss to the NDPs in last spring’s provincial election.
The former transportation minister delivered a 20-minute speech at the March 16 Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock PC Association annual general meeting, which outlined the party’s journey over the past 12 months.
“It’s been quite a year for us and not entirely in a good way,” McIver told a room of about 35 party members and supporters at the Westlock Inn.
“A year ago we were in government. Things looked like we had a massive majority of about 72 of the 87 seats and we had another full year to govern before we had to call an election.”
The leader admitted the party’s demise was their own fault.
“The party that defeated us on May 5 was us,” he said.
“(But) Volunteers on our board have travelled all over this province talking to people in every corner of Alberta … it seems to be working. We can’t take it for granted, (but) the last few polls done, they have us essentially tied for the lead again.”
McIver said the early election call turned loyal supporters against them.
“I heard from Albertans, it’s not something I made up, it’s something I heard over and over and over again is we offended their sense of fair play,” he said.
“Albertans that supported us for 40 years, I think largely considered us the good guys that cared about Alberta, played fair and tried to do the right things and I think the early election call really went against that.”
The leader also noted the loss of several key figures from the Legislature, including former local MLA Maureen Kubinec.
“We lost a hell of a lot of really good men and women that had served the province as MLAs including Maureen Kubinec, who is a real class human-being,” he said.
“I really respect Maureen Kubinec a lot, I like her and I think she a tremendous job for this riding.”
As for the current NDP government, McIver was critical of Bill 6, the carbon tax which comes into effect next year and the proposed minimum wage increase.
“Once you artificially increase minimum wage by that much, then the cost of goods and services overall comes and the people making minimum wage haven’t gained anything,” he said.
“And we’re saying you shouldn’t make our biggest industry less competitive by putting a carbon tax on in such a fashion that all it does it make it more expensive for people to do business in a market that’s internationally competitive.”
