Progressive Conservative leadership hopeful and Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert MLA Doug Horner unveiled some heavyweight support Monday, as well as a host of new policies, as he continued in his bid to become the next premier.
Cabinet ministers Luke Ouellette, Ray Danyluk, Frank Oberle, Jack Hayden and Hector Goudreau, along with MLAs Dave Quest and Wayne Drysdale, announced their support for Horner’s leadership on the steps of the legislature.
Horner also introduced some of his policies for how he would run the province, putting a big emphasis on education.
Ouellette said Horner is a hard worker with integrity. He said he also believes his business background would serve him well if he became premier.
“I think, in Alberta, it makes for a strong person that understands what it takes to get up every morning and make that payroll at the end of every month,” the transportation minister said.
Horner said he is pleased with the broad base of people supporting him.
“Obviously, I am honoured to have this calibre of support and this level of support,” he said. “These are individuals from across the province from the south and the north.”
Horner also unveiled parts of his platform, with education front and centre. He said he believes education can be a silver bullet for all the challenges facing the province.
“I think education is the platform from which all of our opportunities and solutions will flow,” he said. “I believe it is the top priority for us as we move forward so we can help solve some of those issues around health care, the environment, energy and creating the next-generation economy.”
Horner is promising schools won’t wait for the right budget conditions and that building new facilities will be a top priority. He said he would also try to bring more transparency around provincial achievement tests, so parents better understand their children’s results. He is also promising to create a virtual textbook library, using e-books for all grades.
He would also establish a $50-million fund to support Alberta students studying and training abroad. He said not only would such a program provide opportunities for Alberta students, but would market the province as well.
“If you are out in the international stage, you are an ambassador for our province,” he said. “You are telling people the good work that is being done in our province.”
Horner is also promising a more open and accessible premier’s office that, rather than creating chief of staff positions, would have regional officers to make sure he was hearing from the whole province.
“I have always been my own gatekeeper, as you will, in terms of the ministries and businesses that I have run, and I think I can do that as premier as well,” he said.
Horner said the open dialogue extends to his leadership bid and his policies. He said none of his plans are etched in stone and he is eager to hear from people to help shape them.
The party will cast its first ballot on Sept. 17. Horner is now one of six candidates in the race.
