(Photo: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean announces he’s running in Fort McMurray-Conklin. March 30, 2015. Bradley Karp/AFTERNOON REPORTER).
Brian Jean is looking to boot a cabinet minister from a local riding. At a news conference at his campaign office today, the Wildrose Leader announced he’s running against Minister Don Scott in the Fort McMurray-Conklin provincial riding.
“I’m very confident or I wouldn’t be doing this. I do not run in races I’m going to lose or that I have any intentions to lose. I run hard, I fight for the priorities of the people that I represent. And I’m going to do that exactly this time,” said Jean.
The 52-year-old lawyer from Fort McMurray beat out two challengers for leadership of the Official Opposition. The win came on the same day former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith lost the PC nomination in Highwood to Carrie Fischer. She crossed the floor to the Tories in Dec. 2014.
Jean spent 10 years as a Tory MP for Fort McMurray-Athabasca before resigning last January. He intends to keep the PC government honest fiscally and to take it to task for a failing health care system.
Jean also introduced the Wildrose candidate for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. Tany Yao is a firefighter and paramedic who grew up in Fort McMurray. He’ll be up against Conservative MLA Mike Allen in the Fort McMurray – Wood Buffalo constituency.
“He’s a backbencher [Allen] he can’t vocalize anything for this community they just shut him down. I think what Fort McMurray needs is someone who can speak out and not have fear of being made a backbencher and that’s why I’m here today is to truly speak out and verbalize everything that we need,” said Yao.
The NDP announced its candidates for the ridings last month. Local teacher Ariana Mancini wants to secure the seat for Fort McMurray-Conklin, while Stephen Drover is running in Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo.
(660news, Crystal Laderas, Bradley Karp).
