By Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

UCP leadership hopefuls in Lethbridge for last debate ahead of election on October 28th

Oct 17, 2017 | 1:38 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The final United Conservative Party leadership debate goes tonight (Oct. 17) in Lethbridge at Exhibition Park.

The debate gets underway at 6 p.m., runs until 8 p.m. and admission is $20.

Leadership contenders Brian Jean, Jason Kenney, and Doug Schweitzer have already participated in four debates to this point in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Fort McMurray.

Jean, the former leader of the Wildrose Party, is currently the MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin and also served as the MP for Fort McMurray and northern Alberta for over ten years between 2004-2014.

Kenney, one of the leaders of the Unite the Right movement, is a former MP from Calgary who served as the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism from 2008-2013, the Minister of Employment and Social Development from 2013-2015 and finally the Minister of Defence in 2015.

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Schweitzer, a first time political hopeful, is a restructuring lawyer from Calgary who is running on a socially moderate/fiscally conservative platform.

Whoever is elected leader of the UCP will take over at a time when Albertans seem hungry for change based on recently released poll data. The Angus Reid Institute conducted a survey to gather opinions on the two front runners for the leadership, the UCP and the current provincial government.

The survey was released on Wednesday, Oct. 11 and found 70 per cent of respondents agree that they see Premier Rachel Notley’s government as out of touch with what Albertans really want. The survey also found both Kenney and Jean are viewed more favourably than Notley.

Following the debate tonight, the leadership candidates will look to drum up support heading towards the leadership vote which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28.