An official with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce is speaking on the results of the 2023 Alberta provincial elections and what will be important to business owners, June 2, 2023. (File photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge Chamber asks election winners to follow through on campaign promises

Jun 2, 2023 | 12:42 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – An official with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce is voicing what she believes will be important to businesses for the next Alberta provincial government to prioritize going forward.

The election on May 29, 2023, saw a projected majority government win for the United Conservative Party (UCP). Leader Danielle Smith is set to remain premier.

Lethbridge Chamber CEO Cyndi Bester congratulated those who won their races and said she and other chamber leaders are looking forward to meeting with them.

She explained that one of the responsibilities that chambers of commerce have is to act as a lobbying party on behalf of member small businesses to the various levels of government.

Bester adds that they will work with any political party that is in power, so long as they hold to the principles of fiscal accountability and pushing matters forward without them getting tied down in committee discussions.

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“I think the role of the chamber is to be consistent in our policies, no matter who’s in government. The issue is still there,” said Bester.

She said one of the most common things she has heard from business owners in the Lethbridge area is that they want their governments to be consistent in their policy positions and “follow through on what the campaign promises were.”

Bester told LNN that the Alberta Chambers of Commerce spent the last term establishing positive relationships with the cabinet ministers in the provincial government, and the Lethbridge Chamber with the city’s two MLAs.

Both Lethbridge-East UCP candidate Nathan Neudorf and Lethbridge-West NDP candidate Shannon Phillips are projected to have retained their seats in the legislature.

“Consistency and knowledge will cut down that kind of relationship-building timeline of it, but it’s also, we’ve got both sides of the fence [UCP and NDP] looking after Alberta and we just look forward to both of them working together and creating a healthy relationship,” said Bester.

Bester also gave a shout out to everyone who volunteered with the various political parties and Elections Alberta, saying that they are the unsung heroes of election time and often do not get the credit they deserve.

READ MORE: UCP projected to form majority government in Alberta

READ MORE: Nathan Neudorf projected winner in Lethbridge-East

READ MORE: Shannon Phillips projected winner in Lethbridge-West

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