Lukaszuk OK with Wild Rose slogan

Tory leadership candidate Thomas Lukaszuk says he’s a fan of Wild Rose Country.

The Progressive Conservative government announced this week it would introduce new licence plates for vehicles next year, presenting three options displaying a mountain landscape design.

None of the choices —which the public can vote for — contain the current licence plate slogan, Wild Rose Country.

“If it was up to me, I would keep the slogan because I have no issue with Wild Rose Country,” said the Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA, one of three men running to become Alberta’s next premier.

“But it is what it is. There are bigger problems to worry about.”

The Opposition Wildrose has accused the government of dropping the phrase out of political spite. Lukaszuk said he doesn’t buy the allegation.

“I don’t think so because anybody who’s been in politics more than six months in this province would have known that will be the response. Since the minister has chosen to go ahead with it anyhow, he would have had better reasons to do so,” he said.

Lukaszuk’s fellow PC leadership hopeful Jim Prentice also doesn’t believe the switch is politically motivated but noted the current slogan does create a somewhat awkward situation.

“I don’t think you can have a licence plate that has the name of one of the political parties on it ... what if it said NDP?”

The third candidate in the race, Ric McIver, was not available for comment.