Local MLA Ken Allred will have at least one challenger for his party’s nomination if he decides to run in the next election.
Jeff Wedman, a retired Canadian Forces helicopter pilot, announced his plans to seek the party’s nomination in St. Albert to the Gazette this week.
The local constituency association met this week and set a nomination period for January. The exact date for a vote has not been set, but it will be sometime between Jan. 8 and Jan. 31.
Allred told the constituency association he remains 50-50 on whether he would seek to carry the party banner in another election. He promised to reveal his choice to the association soon.
Wedman said Allred has done a good job for the riding, but he plans to run regardless of whether Allred seeks the spot.
“He definitely cares about the constituency, I don’t think he has done anything or said anything because he thinks it is in the best interest of the constituency,” he said. “I don’t think he has done a bad job, but do I think I can do a better job? Yes.”
Wedman retired this summer after 20 years in the Canadian military. His experience included flying both the Griffon and Chinook helicopters and serving in both Bosnia and Afghanistan.
He said if his political career doesn’t take off he plans to join the Edmonton police.
Wedman said as an MLA he plans to focus on the “nuts and bolts” of government. He said those include things like safe roads, communities and workplaces and effective government services.
He said he would be “miserly” in his approach to spending government funds.
“It is not your money, it is not the government’s money, it is the people’s money and you want to get as much mileage out of every nickel that they give you.”
His focus on tax dollars would not come at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged however. Wedman said that is the difference between the Tories and other parties; they know where to find the balance.
“Some of them definitely have the same commitment to helping other people, but they will break the bank doing it. Other ones will keep the money under wrap and will have a balanced budget, but they really don’t have as much a view on who is going to be hurt.”
One area where Wedman has a specific policy is on the heritage fund. He said he would like to see the province gradually start putting royalty revenues into the fund. His plan would start with two per cent of revenues and increase it by two per cent every year until all royalties went into the province’s savings.
“I think it is an idea that Albertans can get behind and it is fundamentally something people understand.”
Allred said he was aware Wedman intended to contest the party’s nomination and he is pleased to have him in the race.
He said he expects Wedman won’t be alone in a bid to represent the party in St. Albert. Allred said if he decides to run he is glad he won’t take the nomination contest without a challenge. He said sometimes the party nominates incumbents without a clear race and that isn’t good for the party.
“So often they are sort of closed shop deals, where they don’t announce the nomination date until the last minute and try to set it up so the incumbent can get back in and stuff like that, that I have never cared for,” he said. “If we are supposed to be a democratic party let’s be democratic all the way to the grassroots.”
