UCP leadership candidate Travis Toews talks healthcare and more in Lethbridge

He stated, “We need to ensure that we have enough regional incentives, rural remote incentives and that they’re applied in the right regions so that we can attract and retain physicians.”

“We also have a changing of the guard with physicians in this province. I look in my community [and] the doctors that served residents in my community maybe 20 years ago, they worked 80 to 100-hour weeks and the next generation coming in behind them are good with maybe 50-hour weeks, and I don’t blame them. They’ve got a different work-life balance.”

Toews added that the province needs to make sure post-secondary institutions have enough capacity in their medical faculties “so that we are training enough physicians going forward.”

“We need to review the credentialing requirements, credentialing criterion of our credentialing bodies in healthcare and ensure that we are pulling in as many foreign-trained healthcare professionals as possible, that there is a track to get them right up to speed so that they can deliver healthcare in this province. We have thousands of foreign-trained professionals who aren’t practicing in their field of expertise.” Toews added that structural reform is needed at Alberta Health Services (AHS).

“AHS has a very centralized decision-making structure that I believe is failing Albertans and more acutely failing our incredible frontline healthcare professionals. I deeply believe that we need to move to a more decentralized decision-making structure.”

He admitted that he does not have “all the solutions on healthcare,” but said, “I know that our system right now needs deep structural reform.” To address the healthcare crisis, Toews said he would appoint an Associate Minister of Healthcare Capacity.

“Every day, their job and the job of their team would be to work to ensure that we have adequate healthcare capacity in every region of the province, and that’s absolutely critical.”

INFLATION

Toews said he has heard concerned about the rising cost of inflation and the pressure it has put on Albertans. He said he has “a leadership platform around affordability”.

Toews said, “The one thing that I would do immediately is make permanent our fuel tax suspension program, so any time we are in a period of higher energy prices, our fuel tax in this province is suspended. That’s $1.3 billion of tax relief to Albertans annualized.”

“Because the feds charge GST on the full cost of fuel including taxes, when we suspend our tax on an annualized basis, we effectively keep in another $60-to-65-million right here in Alberta instead of sending it to Ottawa,” he added.

Toews said he is committed to ending the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program in the province. He stated, “Over 500,000 Albertans, largely young Albertans are driving with their GDL today.”

“It cost $150 to get the next step, finish their driver’s license and another driving test. Right now, I think it’s pretty clear that program is not providing safer roads with 500,000 Albertans still using it,” he said.

“I would just immediately cancel that program, save young Albertans a lot of hassle and save them all $150,” Toews noted.

He said he has committed to implementing a personal tax credit of $2,000 per child “to assist families right now in this time of great affordability. That’s going to reduce their tax bill when they file their tax returns and again, right now as families are struggling often to make ends meet by the end of the month, this will provide some additional relief.”

LEADERSHIP DEBATE

Toews is taking part in the first UCP leadership candidate debate on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. He said it will be a great opportunity to debate ideas.

“Right now, I believe that leadership is really critical,” he said.

“It’s going to be critical for this movement to elect the right leader so that we can offer Albertans the best option for government in 2023. I believe that right now, what we need is a movement in a province, is strong, stabled, principled, proven leadership. That’s what I can offer.”

Toews added his former position as Finance Minister and President of the Treasury Board will serve him well in the UCP leadership race.

“As the Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board, we of course, provided a level of financial and fiscal oversight over every ministry. That included everything from health, to environment and straight through,” he stated.

Toews said that “uniquely positions” him to “hit the ground running to serve Albertans as Premier, to serve this United Conservative Party as their leader.”

The UCP leadership candidate debate takes place in Medicine Hat from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

by Justin Goulet

UCP leadership candidate Travis Toews talks healthcare and more in Lethbridge

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