Stephen Khan officially joins provincial PC leadership race
Despite the epic defeat of the Progressive Conservatives in the 2015 election, leadership candidate Stephen Khan is convinced his party can bounce back.
Whoever ends up as leader, the former St. Albert MLA and cabinet minister says, will have to “inspire and give Albertans hope, be a builder.” Khan says that can be him. The candidate who doesn’t do that, in Khan’s estimation, is Jason Kenny.
It’s impossible to talk about the PC race without mentioning Kenney’s bid to essentially dissolve the party — and Wildrose — and merge them together into a conservative force to take on the NDP.
Khan’s brow furrows when he talks about Kenney’s vision. Put simply, he’s not a fan. “I can’t see how bringing two parties together is a pathway to success,” he says.
“To me, it’s a little bit of a grab for power. I don’t see it based in values or our commonalities, and that’s always been such a strong part of the party.”
Khan “absolutely” agrees with his rival that there’s a need to unite conservatives. He doesn’t like what the NDP is doing either, policywise, but says the flaw in Kenney’s plan is the chasm between PC and Wildrose ideals.
Just because a merger worked on the national stage, Khan says, doesn’t mean it will fly in Alberta.
“If we get pigeonholed as a small-c, right-wing party, all we’re doing is conceding the centre of the political spectrum to the NDP,” he says.
He thinks the path to success instead lies in the middle of the political spectrum, “with a well articulated, fiscally conservative plan to get this province out of debt and back on track.”
Conjecture about whether or not Khan would run ended Thursday when he launched his bid at the Sturgeon Valley Golf Course in St. Albert. What sets him apart, he says, is what he brings to the table — his work with young people and his business and political experience without being part of the old PC guard.
Khan was first elected as MLA for St. Albert in 2012, and later held the roles of Enterprise and Advanced Education minister, and minister of Service Alberta.
He’s the only candidate from the capital region, but Khan doesn’t think that will help or hinder his bid. “I think we need to move away from this regional fiefdom approach and really come together as Albertans,” he says.