UCP candidate stops in the Hat

By Gillian Slade on September 1, 2017.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

A United Conservative Party leadership candidate who made headlines a weeks ago for calling the party’s budget deficit “embarrassing,” was in Medicine Hat on Thursday.

The UCP wants to establish credibility with the public on the management of its funds, said Doug Schweitzer, 38, a Calgary lawyer specializing in corporate restructuring.

“When I see our current caucus budget being $300,000 over budget, it is simply embarrassing,” said Schweitzer. “The public deserves better than that and members deserve better.”

The whole point of his campaign is to re-establish Alberta as being the most competitive jurisdiction in Canada, he said. Offering the largest tax relief in Alberta’s history is another.

Schweitzer’s fiscally conservative promise includes a nine per cent pay cut for all politicians and political staff. Civil servants, including healthcare workers making more than $120,000 a year, will take a six per cent pay cut. Civil servants including healthcare workers making less than $120,000 a year will take a three per cent pay cut.

“For me this is about doing this right,” said Schweitzer, claiming Alberta spends about $2,500 more per capita than other provinces, and that public sector wages are unusually high. “I want a mandate from the party for what we call our nine/six/three plan.”

With collective agreements in place this can’t be imposed and will have to be negotiated, said Schweitzer, who believes the plan will save about a half-billion dollars a year from the operating budget.

Schweitzer is also promising balanced budgets within the first term in office.

“If we do this we will right size the size of our government, be competitive again to create jobs and attract investment,” said Schweitzer.

As a restructuring lawyer, too often it has not been possible to save companies because investors no longer have confidence in Alberta.

Unlike some of the others running to be UCP leader, Schweitzer is outspoken about being fully in support of LGBTQ and abortion, if that is what a woman chooses.

“It is what I personally believe,” said Schweitzer.

Although Schweitzer has not run for political office before he has been on campaign teams for others, including being campaign manager for the late Jim Prentice. The experience gained in the process has shown him the importance of really staying in touch with people on all levels, including those not in government.

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