Travis Toews hosted a leadership campaign event at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club, June 17, 2022 (Photo: LNN)

By Drew Stremick

Travis Toews eager to maintain Alberta’s ‘trajectory’

Jun 17, 2022 | 6:46 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Former Alberta Minister of Finance Travis Toews was in Lethbridge on Friday, June 17, 2022 to drum up support for his campaign to become the next leader of the United Conservative Party.

Speaking to a crowd of over 100 supporters at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club (RMTC), Toews says that Alberta conservatives must remain united.

“What grieves me the most over the last two years is the division we see,” said Toews. “We’ve seen division politically, division in the Conservative Party, and the United Conservative Party here in Alberta. I believe it’s essential for the conservative movement to reunite again, unite around the values that we agree on, unite around the values that held us together in 2019.”

Toews has served as the Minister of Finance in Alberta since first being elected in 2019. Toews is proud of the fact that he was able to table a balanced budget for 2022-2023 fiscal year, and if elected Premier, Toews says he would maintain the “trajectory of fiscal responsibility.”

“This province, I believe, is on a much improved trajectory today as opposed to what we inherited as a government in 2019,” Toews said. “It’s critical to me to continue with this trajectory, a trajectory of economic growth, a trajectory of fiscal responsibility. I really believe Alberta is on the cusp of an economic renaissance. I don’t want to see any of the gains we’ve made eroded.”

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A supporter asks Travis Toews a question during a leadership campaign stop, June 17, 2022 (Photo: LNN)

Toews said besides the continual improvement of Alberta’s economy, Toews wants to focus on ensuring Albertans are heard.

“We have a balanced budget. We brought fiscal responsibility back to this province. I’m excited about our future, so I’m very supportive of that trajectory,” Toews said. “But again, many Albertans feel that they haven’t had a voice these last two years. And that’s why I believe right now tone and leadership style is very important. I believe strong leadership, but leadership marked with humility, is critical right now in the province of Alberta.”

Alberta’s balanced budget has come with consequences, however. During his time as Minister of Finance, Toews was responsible for service cuts across many sectors. One of those cuts was to recipients of Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).

In 2019, Toews introduced a budget that de-indexed AISH, meaning that payments made to vulnerable Albertans wouldn’t increase with inflation. The cut was expected to save Alberta $10-million-dollars annually, but with the rise of inflation reaching record highs recently, AISH recipients may struggle even more as costs continue to grow.

Toews acknowledges the struggles individuals on AISH face, but says now that Alberta’s finances are back on track, if elected leader, he would commit to re-indexing the benefit to inflation.

“When it came to AISH recipients, even though we were $400 higher than the nearest province, we decided to maintain that funding because we knew it was important to Albertans,” said Toews “Going forward, recognizing inflation pressures, I will certainly commit to re-indexing our personal tax system in the future, and I will commit to re-indexing those programs that were paused for a period of time.”

On October 6, 2022, UCP members will vote on who they want to lead them into the next provincial election. Candidates will be required to pay a $150,000 entrance fee, and provide at least 1,000 signatures from party members. The list of signatures must include 200 signatures from members from each region around the province.

Toews is one of eight candidates running to lead the UCP since Jason Kenney decided he would step down after narrowly winning his leadership review. Other candidates include Leela Aheer, Brian Jean, Todd Loewen, Bill Rock, Rajan Sawhney, Rebecca Schulz, and Danielle Smith.