Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita, centre, has confirmed plans to vie for a seat in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding in the May 29 general election. The former mayor of Brooks finished third during the November 2022 byelection.--News File Photo
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The pace is picking up toward the late May general election in Alberta with a flurry of budget-related announcements and even campaign-style announcements from the governing United Conservatives and their opponents.
Premier Danielle Smith was in Medicine Hat on Wednesday ahead of a town hall on crime in Brooks and rural health-care announcements on Thursday
Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita ended speculation stating he would run again in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding against Smith, and regional MLA Grant Hunter announced a kickoff-style press conference would take place next week.
Morishita placed third in the November byelection, won by Smith, as his party tries to gain foothold among voters and seats in the legislature.
On Thursday, the former Brooks mayor said his party is committed to running local candidates, and speculated on Smith’s future after months as UCP leader.
“I will be here to lend a hand to my neighbours and advocate for my community long after the election because this is my home,” he wrote in a statement.
“I don’t want to see the people of Brooks-Medicine Hat stuck without a representative when Danielle Smith (or her party) decides she’s out. We deserve to have someone who is committed to our community.”
The party has posed itself as a centrist option for those unhappy with either the UCP or Alberta New Democrats, which appear to be in a tight race to form a majority and well ahead of third parties.
“I’m going to stand up for Brooks-Medicine Hat and say our voice deserves to be heard no matter what party wins the election,” Morishita continued.
“We deserve a leader who will still represent Brooks-Medicine Hat no matter what happens during the next leadership review.”
It creates a re-match of the three major contenders in the November byelection, which saw Smith secure 55 per cent of votes cast to defeat New Democrat Gwendoline Dirk (27 per cent) and Morishita (17 per cent).
The government issued seven press releases Thursday, outlining budget provisions for sexual assault centres, methane reduction, business expansions and cancer-coverage for firefighters.
Smith told reporters in Brooks the election writ will drop “as planned” on May 1 ahead of a general election on May 29.
“We still have a number of things that we’re wrapping up to finish announcements from our budget before we go into campaign mode,” she said.
“People are excited to have a conversation about what the future of our province is, and I’m looking forward to getting fully into that in a few weeks time.”
Taber-Warner race
In the region, incumbent UCP MLA Grant Hunter, (Taber-Warner) has announced he will outline his re-election campaign at a press conference on April 14 in Coaldale, two weeks before an expected campaign officially begins.
The only other registered candidate in that riding so far is Joel Hunt of the Alberta Green Party.
The NDP has yet to select a candidate for the riding that includes the County of Forty Mile, the County of Warner and the town and Municipal District of Taber.
Hunter was first elected as a Wildrose MLA in 2015, and re-elected in 2019 as a UCP candidate.
In the 2012 election, portions of that riding formed parts of the Cypress-Medicine Hat and Taber-Warner-Cardston ridings prior to redistribution.
