It was an honour to serve the men and women of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta as their president. I am grateful for having had this opportunity and look forward to working together with many more Alberta conservatives to build a strong and credible new party.
My sincere thanks to our Leader, Jason Kenney, our executive director, Janice Harrington, our Board of Directors, the Referendum Committee and the countless other members of our party who worked together during my short, but eventful, tenure as PCAA president. You all did this storied and historic old party proud.
Now we turn to building a new United Conservative Party. We will bring our traditions as Progressive Conservatives with us to the twin tasks of unity and renewal. In 2019 we will give Albertans a choice of a party that understands their priorities and values and will return our province to being a place of opportunity and prosperity.
And finally on this historic day my thoughts are of the late Peter Lougheed, the greatest premier of a province in the history of Canada. Seeing him that day in the legislature in 1970 inspired me to become involved in political life. Premier Lougheed’s spirit continues to inspire me and I trust will continue to inspire forward looking Albertans for years to come.