Kenney in city to stump for Conservative candidates

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2019 (1853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney came to Winnipeg Saturday to stump on behalf of local Conservative candidates, saying Canadians must pull together to elect a “common sense government.”

Kenney visited the campaign headquarters of Marty Morantz, the former city councillor who is running in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley against Liberal incumbent Doug Eyolfson and former MP and MLA Steven Fletcher of the People’s Party of Canada.

“I promised Albertans back in April that I would do everything that I could, if elected premier, to get a change to a federal government that will actually respect the West,” he told about 60 Conservative supporters.

Alberta has been going through really tough times, Kenney said.

“We’ve been living through five years of protracted economic downturn that has been made deeper and worse because of a federal government that has done almost everything in its power to kill jobs and limit opportunity in Western Canada and in our resource industries,” he said.

“A lot of people are hurting and have lost their homes, their jobs, their businesses — and many are losing hope,” he added. “And they are desperately looking for a national government that will once again unite this country to be partners in prosperity.”

With the Trudeau Liberals, the country is saddled with a government that killed two pipelines and “bungled” two others, he said.

“All of this has dealt a huge blow to the industry that has done more to create jobs, opportunity and wealth across the country than any other in our modern economic history,” he said.

Kenney, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, has also travelled to Ontario in support of the national party during the election.

By contrast, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has stayed out of the federal election campaign.

Kenney made several other stops Saturday during his Winnipeg visit, calling on Winnipeg South Conservative candidate Melanie Maher, who is facing off against Liberal incumbent Terry Duguid.

The Conservatives are likely to sweep Alberta and could also elect a full slate in Saskatchewan, Kenney said.

He said he was asked by the national Conservative party to come to Manitoba to aid in its campaign here.

“They said it’s going to be very close in Winnipeg. There’s a bunch of constituencies that are right on the margin,” he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca