Drew Barnes feeling hopeful after Kenney win

By Collin Gallant on December 16, 2017.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

Conservative politicians and voters should be buoyed by the election of Jason Kenney to the Alberta Legislature, a top lieutenant of the United Conservative Party leader said Friday.

Drew Barnes said Kenney’s win Thursday in a Calgary-area byelection with 70 per cent of the vote will strengthen party unity and the party’s position.

“The strength of his victory shows that Albertans believe in conservative values,” said Barnes, the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat who was named the new party’s finance critic this fall after Wildrose and Progressive Conservatives parties merged.

“Secondly, the important thing in the UCP is to stay united, stay humble and working hard. Nobody brings that better than Jason Kenney.

“It will be good to have him in the house where we’ve seen the incredible economic damage and cultural change that the NDP has made. We’ll keep fighting them.”

Barnes, who was elected under the Wildrose banner in 2012 and 2015, was in favour of the merger and then an early supporter of Kenney as leader.

Kenney, 49, has a record of being a strong debater and parliamentarian. He spent 19 years as an MP, and served as the federal a minister of employment and multiculturalism, as well as the minister of national defence for a short time.

Premier Rachel Notley, whose candidate Phillip van der Merwe trailed in second place with about 16 per cent of the vote, sent congratulations via social media.

“Congratulations and welcome to the (Alberta) Legislature,” she wrote. “I look forward to debating you in the House

Kenney told supporters in Calgary on Thursday the party must continue to work hard “to defeat the job-killing socialist government.”