Former Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes says the current UCP government has underperformed. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

EXCLUSIVE

Ex-Medicine Hat MLA says Smith’s UCP government has underperformed

Jul 29, 2024 | 5:10 PM

Drew Barnes, former MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, says the ruling United Conservatives under Premier Danielle Smith has broadly underperformed in the areas of downsizing government, cutting taxes and striking better deals with Ottawa.

WATCH: One-on-one interview with ex-MLA Barnes

“The Smith government hasn’t lived up to expectations,” Barnes told CHAT News in an interview with anchor Dan Reynish on Monday.

“Instead, we’ve heard a lot of talk but we haven’t seen the action,” Barnes, who worked alongside Smith during part of his 11 years in the provincial legislature, added.

Families and businesses need tax reductions that Smith has not delivered, the former MLA argued, saying he’s fought for slashing taxes since 2012, when he was part of the right-wing Wildrose Party.

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Barnes said that Alberta may need a third party again to bring back small government and tax cuts.

In a response later on Monday, Smith said her Alberta government is actually working on those goals.

“I’m focused on continuing the work our government is doing to defend Albertans from harmful policies coming out of Ottawa, create jobs, attract investment, and make life more affordable for Albertans,” Smith said in a statement to CHAT News.

The premier said she’ll have more details on her government’s upcoming tax cut, adding her government will not be running a deficit to carry it out.

The income tax break that is expected to save Albertans hundreds of dollars a year is set to come in 2026 and 2027 after it was pushed back in the 2024 provincial budget.

Smith, who is also MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, said she receives a lot of positive feedback everywhere she goes but it’s not something she takes for granted.

“I’m looking forward to hearing directly from our party’s membership, about how we are doing and how we can do better during my summer tour across the province,” she said.

Barnes, along with fellow UCP MLA Todd Loewen, were expelled from the United Conservative caucus in 2021 — under the party leadership of Jason Kenney — for criticizing the government’s pandemic response.

When then-MLA Smith and eight of her colleagues defected from the Wildrose Party to the Progressive Conservatives in 2014, she left behind Barnes, who remained with the party.

Barnes won Cypress-Medicine Hat with Wildrose in the 2012 and 2015 Alberta general elections.

After the merger of the Wildrose and Progressive Conservatives ahead of the 2019 election, he ran once more but under the UCP banner.

The former Medicine Hat realtor decided not to run for re-election in 2023.

When he was making his decision, he asked Smith for a cabinet spot and never got a response, he said.

Barnes said he has remained in involved in politics but at the grassroots level.

“I still like politics, I still like talking to people and I’m still such a believer in smaller government and lower taxes,” he said.

“But, at this point in time, I’m focused on establishing a foundation and political action work to bring about those things.”

— with files from Dan Reynish