Former city councillor seeks UCP nomination
Andre Chabot, a former mayoral candidate and longtime city councillor, is seeking the United Conservative Party nomination for the riding of Calgary-East.
Chabot — who served 12 years on Calgary council before making a failed bid for mayor in the October municipal election — is aiming to make a political comeback in a riding that closely overlaps his former council ward in east Calgary.
Calgary-East is currently the seat of NDP MLA Robyn Luff.
Chabot placed a distant third in the fall election with just over three per cent of the vote, behind challenger Bill Smith and Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
Considered a fiscal hawk during his time on council, Chabot opposed the Olympic bid and has previously said that a new hockey arena shouldn’t come at the expense of taxpayers.
A former construction worker and technical sales rep, Chabot has been busy since his exit from municipal politics.
FIVE HOPEFULS
Last March he made an appearance at city hall as a consultant with the firefighters’ union, advocating against a relaxation of the city’s seven-minute standard for fire response.
Chabot joins a slate of five candidates who have declared interest in the UCP nomination for Calgary-East, including Matthew Dirk, Issa Mosa, Robert O’Learly and Pradeep Singh.