Shaun Newman Podcast - #299 - Rebecca Schulz

Episode Date: August 8, 2022

Current MLA for Calgary-Shaw district and former Minister for Child Services hops on to discuss running for leadership in the UCP.  Let me know what you think Text me 587-217-8500 Support here:�� https://www.patreon.com/ShaunNewmanPodcast⁠ Livestream for Candidates Roundtable: https://www.facebook.com/shaunnewmanpodcast

This is Brian Pekford. This is Danielle Smith. This is Glenn Healy. Hey, everybody. This is Paul Brand. This is Dr. Peter McCullough. Hi, everyone. This is Jamie Saleh, and welcome to the Sean Newman podcast.

Welcome to the podcast, folks. Happy Monday. Hope everybody, well, I tell you what, I hope everybody's having a great Monday because I tell you what is going to be one busy day on this side. Of course, tonight we have the candidates roundtable in Vermillion at the Regional Center, Vermillion Regional Center. Doors open at 6.

It's $15 to get in. in first come first serve the show starts at 7 p.m., 715-815 roughly is the candidates roundtable. Of course, the conservative constituency of Vermilion, Lloydminster, and Wainwright are putting on a little piece after, a little speed dating with the five candidates that are coming. They are Rebecca Schultz, who's today's guest, Brian Jean, Todd Lowen, Travis Taves, and Danielle Smith. So those five are going to be in Vermilion tonight. It's going to be live streamed, and then Wednesday we're going to have the audio here on the

podcast if for some reason you miss it. The live streaming is going to take place on the Sean Newman podcast Facebook page. So if you're looking to watch it live, that's where you can head. All right, that should be enough details. I got to give a shout out to Jim Spenrath, one of the podcast supporters, Three Trees. They're hooking me up. We had an issue with the stage tonight of we don't have any chairs for the guests to sit on. So Three Trees has been gracious enough to supply us with some stools for up top. So I got to give a show. Shout out to the team over there, Jim Spannerath. What can I say?

Always getting me out of a bind. Now, before we get to today's episode, let's get to today's episode sponsors. Canadians for Truth are a nonprofit organization consisting of Canadians who believe in honesty, integrity, and principled leadership and government as well as Canadian Bill and Rights, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Rule of Just Laws. And did you know that they're opening a studio? I think they just opened it in Calgary. And this Tuesday, I'm heading down there.

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For more information, visit them at Hancock Petroleum.com. DatC.A. She's a current MLA for the Calgary Shaw District. She was the former Minister of Children's Services and now a candidate vying to become the next Premier of Alberta. I'm talking about Rebecca Schultz. So buckle up. Here we go. This is Rebecca Schultz and welcome to the Sean Newman

podcast. Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast today. I'm joined by Rebecca Schultz. We're discussing your name there for a few seconds because I didn't want to mispronounce it and then I got all in my head anyways. First off, thanks for hopping on. Well, thank you so much for your time. I think I speak for, I don't know, I'm a newbie to, I say this to all the candidates. I was never the podcasting type. You're getting me the first one back in the studio, Rebecca. And you can see on the wall I got hockey everywhere and you can imagine what I was doing before I started interviewing candidates. So I want to start with who is Rebecca? Because although I've watched you in some debates now and I've certainly listened to some podcasts, that type of thing, for my audience

and for anyone else who's never stumbled across you, who is Rebecca Schultz? Okay, well that should be an easy one. I am the MLA for Calgary Shaw. So the very, very far south end of Calgary. I was elected in 2019, but that wasn't the beginning of my political career, if you were. I originally got involved in politics back in 2009. I am originally from small town Saskatchewan, and I fell into a job as working for Sask Energy, it's natural gas company there, and I fell into a job working for Premier Wall, which is really where my love of politics began. I have been campaigning ever since and moved to Alberta with my husband. We have two young kids. There's seven and four. And I came to Alberta for hope and opportunity and that entrepreneurial spirit, really,

that hope and promise that if you're willing to work hard, you can be who and whatever you want to be. It seems so exciting. I always wanted to live in Alberta. And then I really got involved in Alberta of politics for unity. I saw what was happening with the NDP government, obviously that devastated our economy and not just our economic situation, but obviously I think was devastating for our province overall. And so I got involved for the unity campaign and then decided that I wanted to put my name forward to run. What small town in Saskatchewan? Well, there were three of them, really. So I started off in Brace in Saskatchewan, if you know where that is. It's on the east side, close to Melville. Okay. And most people know Melville. So I live there. And then I moved to Holdfast,

which is kind of in between Regina and Saskatoon somewhat off that highway. Like 200 people. I graduated with 10 kids in my class. Well, I bring it up because I'm originally from home on Saskatchewan, which of course, everybody in my area knows exactly where that is, home of Wade Redden. Things like that, but I mean, it's a hamlet, right? So when you talk small town Saskatchewan, just curious, you know, maybe we know. Maybe we don't know. I met a guy at the lake who was from Elbow originally. So now he's moved to the States.

Anyways, that's a complete side note. I'm just curious. What, you know, when you talk about Brad Wall, I mean, geez, that's a guy to learn about, learn underneath, sorry, and see how he conducted himself. What drew you to go that way? Like, what, you know, this political world is an interesting little bit. beast. And I think for a majority of my life up until the last, you know, a little chunk, specifically kids, I would say that I really had no time for it, right? Like I was just, I don't know, caught up in different things. And now I'm starting to realize how important it is.

Early on in your life, obviously, you, you saw the importance in it or how did you get drawn into it to begin with? Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, even growing up in super small town, Saskatchewan, we had, I had an English teacher and a social teacher on very opposite ends of the political spectrum. And I always really loved politics. And then in university, I had thought about looking at Pauly Sai as a major. And I don't know if, you know, probably some of your listeners could identify with this. I remember going to one of my first classes and everybody's sitting there and the people in the front row, they've got their hands up, they're talking and I'm wondering if I missed a prerequisite or something.

Like how does everybody know all this stuff about politics? And then I realized like now I know a little bit differently that sometimes people always talking don't always know more than everybody else. But you know, it was, I was just always interested. And then working at Sask Energy, being a Crown Corporation, I was following politics. And my boss there had worked in politics for a long time. So I would watch question period and get really excited about it. And then a job opened up at the Premier's office.

And my boss had worked opposite of Brad Wall's communications director. And I said, how does somebody get one of those jobs? Like, it sounds cool. It's so interesting. I love politics. I love Bradwell. And the next day I came in and he said, well, if you want a job, like, go for it. They're going to interview you.

So it was really having somebody who was willing to take a chance on me. What I saw at the time, and I mean, like I said, I always wanted to live in Alberta and Brad had me in Saskatchewan because what you saw was a government that was so focused on economic growth and fiscal conservative values, but also cared about people and could explain to people why we were looking for economic growth because a strong economy enables us to invest in things like health care, education, and supports for the most vulnerable. So I was able to really see a province transform under that kind of leadership where we saw common sense and humility as well as unwavering conservative values. So that's really what got me involved in politics.

And really I just have never, I've stepped away in terms of work, but I've always been an avid campaigner ever since then. Did you ever think you'd be running for the premier of Alberta? Did you ever have that goal, you know, in the beginning where you're like, you know, I want to mind throwing a hat to ring someday. You know, when I first ran, I didn't think I was going to be a minister. I ran to be an MLA. I really thought that we needed good representation and that people wanted to see somebody who was there to work hard for them.

That could be straight up with them that, you know, showed that humility and honesty and hard work and really just wanted to do this as part of a team because I do think politics ultimately is about hard work and teamwork. And even in 2019, when I was not going to be able to, on doors. People would say, you know, I can't wait for you to get elected. You need to save us from the NDP. You got to balance the budget. And, you know, I would tell people, okay, well, just, you know, then you want to balance budget. We're going to have to make hard decisions. You're not going to agree with me all of the time, but I'll still stand here on your doorstep and answer your

questions and listen to your feedback. And so that's really what I wanted to do. I never expected, you know, when the premier called and asked me to serve as a minister of children's services, that that was a surprised to me. I didn't expect it. But as I saw what was happening in terms of the leadership race and thinking about what do we need right now in the province of Alberta, what is best for our future, it really is a united conservative party and that will take a leader who can, in fact, yes, unite our party, keep us united, but also provide Albertans with a vision of where are we headed, what is their future? I have heard from so many people that they feel like we've gotten a little bit entitled or arrogant or out of touch or we've left them behind. And I think people are also tired of

the division. So don't vote for those guys. Let's be mad at those guys. Don't support that. Let's give Albertan something that they can vote for. A vision, a plan where we headed something people can get behind and get our conservative movement excited again so that we can in fact take on Rachel Notley in 2023 and win. How will you, you know, I've heard this unity thing a lot. You know, because of everybody stares at the conservative party and reads the different articles that say everybody's, you know, while there has been some pretty scathing articles, I actually come out about infighting in, in amongst teammates, as I don't know, I use the old hockey analogy. That's the way it looks to me. But anyways, how do you envision, you know, when you talk about a vision, how do you pull people together? Because this isn't like a four-year plan, Rebecca.

This is like months. and then it's an election again. In that short of time, what do you think you can do that's going to actually bring people together? Or do you just think a new leader in general will bring people together? No, I don't. I don't think one person can do all of this work. I think this is where politics really for me is about team. And I know every person in this race says,

I am the one who can unite the party and beat Rachel Notley in 2023. I don't believe that's true. and I don't believe that unity is something that we can take for granted. And that's where I say, you know, coming from Saskatchewan, I mean, I tell people in Alberta, we think four years of the NDP government was bad, try 16, where there were no jobs and no opportunity other than working for the government. And we had to unite liberals and conservatives. That's what, you know, for me reminds me that we can't take this for granted.

And unity does start with our team. That's also, though, why I think it's possible. I believe in our MLAs. I know that our MLAs across the province want to see as be a united team and take on the NDP. Absolutely. I also know that we have to do some things different. So early on, I reached out to my caucus colleagues. I wrote them a letter and I outlined exactly how I'm going to do things differently,

how I'm going to earn their trust, how I'm going to earn their support, what kind of leader I will be and what they can expect. I got a lot of great feedback from that. again, it's not going to be easy because we are a team. And I mean, as a party, we value diversity of thought, different opinions. We value freedom of speech. That vigorous debate, I do believe, gives us better policy. It also makes conservative politics messy because then at some point we've got to come forward with a united voice to show all burdens that we can govern.

So that matters too. So first, my commitment was really that I need to listen to my colleagues, that decisions will be made, starting in caucus. Ralph Klein did that. Brad Wall did that. We have to make sure that we're allowing for MLAs to do their very important job, which is bringing forward the voices and opinions of their constituents that we make better decisions for the whole of the province. Secondly, I do think that we need a deputy premier who can also help make sure that caucus's voice is being heard, that leadership at the caucus level is valued just as much as, you know, leadership in the Premier's office, that we get caucus outside of Calgary and Edmonton,

and we meet in rural Alberta, central, northern, southern Alberta. You know, I joke a day would start at Coffee Row so that we can sit down, meet with people, hear what's top of mind, have our meetings volunteer, meet with Conservative Party members. It matters that we understand each other from different regions of the province. And I think, lastly, we have to come together as a team to identify, look, if we're going to be this big tent, we have diverse voices, diverse opinions. What does that look like? And then what does loyalty and team look like? What is the line that we don't cross when we're talking about coming out as a united voice?

And let's make sure we all know what that line is, that everybody's voice is equal and the rules, essentially, are the same for everyone. And I think that that is going to matter because it starts with our team. And then my first campaign commitment was to doork in all 87 constituencies across the province, meet with every single constituency association board. Why? Because I know that that's what it's going to take to win the next election. It's not talking about unity. It's, yes, uniting our team and then getting out there and listening to Albertans and making sure that their voices and what's top of mind for them is included in our platform.

So when I think of what we need right now, it's not a leader who can just get us through the next election. It's not that. It's really somebody who can do all of those things who can come in on day one, make the changes that need to be made, and also get ready to campaign and win the next election in, I mean, less than eight months. I'm going to show my colors here a little bit because here's where I'm a little green. You mentioned a deputy premier. I take it, there isn't one currently. There isn't. And then my second question on that then is, has there previously been one?

Or is this something other provinces do? Because you're talking to a guy, I hear that and I go, a deputy premier, okay, well, why? Yes. Thank you. Well, and part of that is also linked in with my strategy on defending Alberta. So we have a lot of things that Albertans want to see done. Albertans are frustrated right across the province.

it's not urban or rural. People are frustrated with Justin Trudeau, the federal government, how Alberta is treated. They want a leader who's going to stand up and defend Alberta's rights. Yes, absolutely. But also, we need, I think to show that there is opportunity

for the deck chairs to be moved around. So every once in a while, it's okay to shuffle cabinet, to show people that there is opportunity to try out different roles. I think it helps strengthen your team, team, give people different experiences in different areas, and reminds people in cabinet that, you know, you're not there forever.

You know, those chairs people joke are rented by the day. You're elected for four years, but that doesn't mean you're going to be the minister the whole time. Having a deputy premier is quite normal. It's not something we've had in the last three years. But I need a deputy, somebody who can also help make sure that we don't take our eye off the ball when it comes to fighting for a fair deal with the feds, for example. because I know that I am going to be exceptionally busy meeting with our caucus,

doing what we need to do to shake up things in terms of staffing, get ready for the next election. All of that is going to take a lot of work. So we do need a second in command who will make sure that caucus is always being heard, especially if, you know, for some reason I have to be away or things like that. So that's kind of the inner workings of government. But it does matter to caucus qualities who work really, really, hard and want to know that there's going to be different opportunities for them.

And just sticking with the deputy premier here just for a second, what other province currently does do it? Was this something under Brad Wall that you witnessed that you like? Yeah, I think it's quite normal to have a deputy premier. And it makes sense to have somebody else who can, you know, help focus on different things. Like in my case, my commitment to help us with our fight with the federal government and make sure that that doesn't fall up anybody's desks. Because that, is really one thing that Alburton's are really frustrated with right now and we need to show them. I hear you. So I came out with timelines that I can be measured by, but I also wanted to make sure that we do have somebody who is specifically responsible for that because as you pointed out,

this is no easy task. I mean, we have an opposition that is out there every single day. They are working hard. They are motivated. They are disciplined. And they know that if we don't get this leadership race, right, that they can win. When you're visiting everywhere, because it sounds like, you know, as we're chuckling here before you started, you're in between events sitting in your car doing this. I do really appreciate you giving me some of your time. You mentioned door knocking everywhere, right, all across the province. What's been some of the current themes that you've been hearing?

Because, you know, your first term in politics, this has been an interesting one. Certainly the last two years, and we can dig into that a little bit here. I got some different questions from people. but in general, what have you been hearing, you know, across the last couple of weeks from the different people you've been running into? You mentioned a bunch of different things, but maybe you can give us a little insight into what you're hearing. Yeah. And so, you know, across the province, it's largely the same that we need unity. We need to make sure that we have a conservative government lead us into this next period of economic growth. That even though people are frustrated with some of the things we've done as a government, that they do, in fact,

want to continue to see a conservative government lead our economy forward. So that is encouraging to me. I also do hear that we need a different tone, a different approach, that people feel like we've been entitled or gotten out of touch with everyday Alberts. And so for me, that's the humility. Sorry, I apologize. When you talk entitlement, you're talking elected officials are entitled. That's the, yeah.

People generally just say, you know, generally speaking, they're not talking about any one person. And, you know, they just say that they feel like maybe we've lost our way or left them behind or they're frustrated for a variety of different things. But largely it comes down to tone and approach and humility and essentially having empathy and showing that we we understand what every day all burdens are going through. And when it comes to the actual issues, I would say a leader who will stand up and defend our constitutional rights when it comes to the federal government. I hear that every single day, every single place I go. Affordability, the cost of living. That is top of mind for people right now. Healthcare is also, of course, top of mind.

Some of the things we need to fix in the healthcare system, they're not simple, but it's definitely top of mind for Albertans. And then a lot of people also talk about the surplus. What are we going to do? How are we going to get off that oil and gas roller coaster? What is your plan for the future? and which often links into our plan for the economy. You know, I mentioned your first term.

I don't think you could have predicted the roller coaster the last two years have been. Could you give us a little insight? Because, I mean, tomorrow in Vermillion, or actually today, as people listen to this, it'll be, you know, episode 299 for the podcast comes out on Monday. So tonight in Vermillion, I get to have the five, different candidates, Daniel Smith, Travis Taves, Todd Lowen, Brian Jean, and then yourself to sit

and discuss a few different things. You know, when I look at the five candidates, you have yourself and Travis who were ministers in the Alberta government. You have Todd Lowen, who spoke out, is now an independent. And then you have Daniel Smith and Brian Jean, who were both once upon a time Wild Rose and are now in the leadership race. Very different perspectives. which should make for a very interesting conversation tonight, you know, as we sit here and record this tomorrow. Anyways, I, I, what about the last two years sticks out to you? I know a lot of people, myself included, you know, there was a lot of things that the government did under Jason Kenny. But you had an insight on being on the inside of that.

What can you tell people, especially, you know, well, just over the two-year course of it, you know, It started out with two weeks to flatten the curve and then, you know, it extended into two years. There's a lot of people, you know, worried that that's going to be the first thing you face come to fall, right? Whoever Premier is. Yeah, and I do still hear some concern about that. And I'll say this. I have been in government for the last three years. I sat at those tables.

And I am the first person to say that we did not get everything right. We didn't. I would also, though, say that it's a lot easy. to sit on the sidelines and criticize or look back with 20-20 hindsight and say, here's what we would have done better. I will tell you this, that we know a lot more now than we did at the beginning, especially just around COVID. But I mean, even when you say, you know, was this first term what I would have expected,

I mean, an oil price crash and economic downturn and a pandemic, it's definitely not what I would have anticipated coming into this role. But I would say, yeah, if we're talking specific, about COVID. We learned a lot. Didn't get it all right. Absolutely not. There were Albertans on every side of that issue who largely wanted to be heard. And now what do we know? We know that essentially we've got to prioritize people's mental health and well-being, that when we look at COVID and transmission, locking down the province doesn't make sense. For me, it's about common sense decisions. Listening to Albertans, we've got to prioritize

just general well-being of people. And that's why, you know, moving forward, you know, people say, would you support a lockdown? No, because I think we need to provide, keep things as normal as possible, I guess, for Albertans. But again, we do have to make changes to our healthcare system. So we're never in that situation again when it comes to ICU capacity and hospital capacity. We do invest more per capita in healthcare here in Alberta than most other provinces.

And we don't have better outcomes. and that is problematic for me, which is why healthcare reform matters so much to me and is a huge piece of my platform in this campaign. You bring up health care. One of the big things in the news here in the last week has been Deena Hinshaw's bonuses and getting scrutinized under how much she made and everything else.

What are your thoughts surrounding that? I mean, I think for most average Albertans, you know, the numbers just are shocking, right? Like, in a time where, you know, lots of businesses, people in general, were told to stay home, businesses were closed, you get the point. What are your thoughts around all of that? I know it's been a very heated topic over the last little bit. Yeah, and Sean, exactly what you said was exactly what I said when I was asked.

there were a lot of frontline workers, doctors, nurses, just generally speaking, essential workers, small businesses that lost work, lost their, you know, income for, you know, whether it was weeks or months at a time. And I think we absolutely have to look at whatever policy allowed that to happen, close that loophole. I did commit to that because I do understand that Albrun's frustrated and I get where that frustration is coming from. Did you ever think back, you know, I asked Travis this and of course Todd Lowen becoming an independent. And did you ever think what Jason Kenney as the leader of the conservatives, just the conservative party in general, did you ever think of taking a stand, so to speak, of some of the things that were going on, you know, I don't have to go very much further than my own community and the different things, you know, are we going to have a vaccine passport? We're, no, we're not. And then, yes, we are. Are we, we're open for business and then we're not. And, you know, the long winter turned into a very long winter. And things just, uh, went downhill very quick. Did you ever have the thought of, you know, and I don't, I'll give you the two perspectives that, that I've heard. One was, um, I was, I was, you have no idea how hard I was working behind the scenes to try and change minds and arguments and that type of thing. And the other one was, no matter how hard I tried and I hope I'm getting this right. I apologize.

if I get it a little wrong. Basically, there was nothing I could do. I needed to take a stand and and, you know, be very firm and this is what the constituents wanted. And this is as far as I'm willing to go. And I think you can see who falls into both lanes. Yeah. Well, and for me, like I said, I sat at that table and as a member of cabinet, I respect cabinet confidentiality in that process. I did. I can absolutely say that I did take forward the views of my constituents on many of these issues, especially during COVID. But I mean, I generally do that. You know, there are things that I really felt strongly about and advocated for, but I also know that those decisions are not easy. And so I came out and as a member of the government, I supported the government's decisions,

but that's also where I am the first to say that we didn't get things right. And, you know, I would also say I have a lot of people say, you know, you guys were in an impossible decision. Everybody feels differently about COVID. There were days that, yeah, that's how I felt. Every single constituent I had who reached out to me around COVID, I offered a phone call. And on any given day, I heard a variety of different issues, but I always took those issues forward. And, you know, even now, people say, well, what do you think about vaccines moving forward? Well, I don't think it makes sense that we're masking on airplanes, you know, things like that. we can sit and watch the flames play the oilers and we can't sit on a plane side by side.

For me, it's about common sense. It doesn't make sense. But when it comes to the last two years, do we know a lot more now than we did back then? Yes. Did we get everything right? No. But I would say we've learned a lot and that's why I think, you know, now we're seeing similar views from a lot of the candidates in this race on how we move forward. Yeah, I think one of the things that really frustrated me over the past, for certain, in the middle of the winter, was I couldn't figure out why the government wasn't taking, and maybe I'm completely wrong on this, a more proactive stance on whatever the problem was. It just felt like everything was reactive, you know, and then reactive. The thing about it is it catches you off, you know, on your, on your heels a bit. and then it takes time to, you know, get things through to, to move things forward instead of catching it before it ever escalates to anything bad.

And I'm not talking about COVID as a whole. I'm just talking about multiple different issues. And I guess I'm curious, you know, elected Premier, right? Rebecca Schultz, next one. Is your thought process you have a bunch of, you know, when you talk about a vision, is the vision, and I don't want to put vision, vision, I don't want to put, words in your mouth. But is the thought like, we have these problems. We need to go address them immediately and move forward. Because one of the things as a guy watching, I just felt like we were sitting on the ropes no matter who you were and just getting pounded. And instead of being on the

attack, which is a poor way to, you know, to label it, but just proactive. You know, in the middle of COVID, we talk about mental health crisis. Well, if we done a little bit, And I just, I can't see the inside of the government, Rebecca. So this is me being a little bit blind. You know, I have no idea. I guess under the leadership of Rebecca, would something like that be palpable or talked about or put into place? In terms of being more proactive when it comes to addressing issues,

I think, yes. I mean, for me, I worked in a Premier's office before. I worked in a government department for three years. And so, you know, I often use examples from, Children's Services. I was the Minister of Children's Services until I resigned to run in this leadership race. We were able, just to use an example, we were able to essentially transform every area of the ministry, whether it was child care. We reduced our red tape by, I think, half in child care, transformed that system before negotiating the federal child care deal

with the federal government. Another good example is in prevention and prevention. early intervention. We had grants and support services and programs that we had been essentially funding since 1994. And I asked the question because I would get feedback from non-profits saying this isn't working. We want to do things differently. And I would say, okay, well, we haven't reduced the number of kids coming into government care. We've been doing the same thing we've always been doing. Nonprofit partners want to see change. So my question is, why has nobody else done this? And I had a few nonprofit organizations sitting at the table that day and they said, well, you're the politician, you should know. Everyone's afraid to touch it. I'm like, so we're just going to do things the way

we've always done them because we've always done them that way. That doesn't sit well with me when I think, look, we need to be responsible with taxpayer dollars and we need to make sure that every single cent that we're investing is going to what we know is going to help kids and families. So I was proactive. We announced it. We worked at the media. We answered all of their questions. We met with nonprofits across the province. We did cancel 350 grants to nonprofit organizations across the province and transformed that whole system in essentially less than a year, which at government speed is like warp speed. And unfortunately, when we rolled it out, it was April of 2020. So, you know, we were elected in May of 2019. We're rolling out this new program in April of 2020, two weeks after

COVID is a thing. And so I had a lot of apologizing to do to all of our new nonprofits saying, I am so sorry when we redesigned this. I didn't anticipate a pandemic. But it was being open and honest and transparent and taking the feedback from Albertans and then saying, you know what, I'm going to be transparent about it. I have good relationships with the media. I think that matters, that they know that if they have questions, I'm going to tell them the truth. We try to respond quickly and make their lives a little bit easier. And then I also said when we made that whole shift, if I didn't get it right, that's okay. We're going to take feedback going forward. Same thing in childcare. We rolled out the dollars for parents and there was one grant that we announced and

child care operators were upset and I took a few minutes to look into why were they upset. There was a discrepancy between the government and the operators and I was like, hey, good idea. You're exactly right. let's fix it. And so that's always been my approach to government. And I think it is, you know, when people, like every politician talks about humility, that's what I think it is saying, you know what? I didn't get that right, but that's okay. Your idea is better. Let's go with yours. I'm happy to hear the word humility a lot. I've always wondered why more politics. You can't say it all the time, right? You can't just say, I mean, if you're the leader of a party, you can't just go, well, oops, we got it wrong. Oops, we got it wrong, right? That's a way to get you. That's a way to get you out the door real fast. That's flip-clopping, yeah. But I think a little bit of humility is what is needed out of any leader at this point. Because we certainly, it certainly doesn't feel like I've seen a whole lot of it.

I could be wrong a little bit because what I hear out of you, I'm like, oh, that's interesting. That really is. I think that's been lacking across anyone that I've watched so far. not to say that the guest prior that are going to be on tonight on the candidate roundtable haven't, just that I haven't heard anyone address the word humility and how we can have a leadership candidate actually be okay with saying, it's okay if I get this wrong. I think maybe Daniel Smith may have said it back in an episode a while back, but I do find it very interesting.

I am running out of time with you. I got 10 minutes here before I got to let you get back to your busy night. So I want to get to a few questions from listeners. Kurt had had this one. He said, what's your stance on environmental, social, and governments, ESG policies for Alberta. Oh, man, I'm stumbling here. Policies for Alberta companies as currently being pushed and implemented by the World Economic Forum.

World Economic Forum seems to come up number one question all the time. What are your thoughts around that and what it pertains to, you know, politics here Alberta? First of all, I am not a member of the World Economic Forum. The first time somebody asked me, if I was a member of Weft, I was a bit confused because I wanted to make sure I knew I was getting the right acronym. But no, I am not a member of the World Economic Forum. That said, if we want to talk about environmental, social and governance standards, especially when it comes to our energy industry, I am a huge supporter of Alberta oil and gas. I think many Albertans feel the same way. We all know that we have a great story to tell.

And I do think that this is an area where the federal government is trying to infringe, not just in oil and gas, but even what they're doing with the fertilizer caps that they've been talking about for the last two years. I mean, this is clearly coming from a government that doesn't know how energy or food is produced. I know where my energy comes from. I grew up on a farm in a small town. I know where my food comes from. So these are areas where we absolutely have to stand up and defend our provincial

jurisdiction. That said, a lot of our oil and gas companies would also say that, look, we're happy to talk about our record. We have a good record on environmental, social, and government or governance issues. So let's talk about it. Let's tell the story. We're leading the way. We're leading the world. And the world should be using more Alberta energy, not less. And so, you know, I think I've answered both of your questions on that front, but, you know, we can still talk about our environmental record because it's a good thing for marketing our oil and gas. I had quick Dick McDick, you being a Saskatchewan girl. I'm sure you know his name.

He was just on and we got talking about urban rural divide and how there is a bit of basically a loss of knowledge between the two groups on and we were talking specifically about farmers, right, about how our food is grown and how it impacts all these different things. Do you have a solution for that? That's a real general question, right? But I think of any time we're going to have a leader of a province, they're going to have the ability to help bridge gap. And you just see it. It's just, it's just evident, right? Whether we're talking oil and gas, but specifically, when we're talking food and how you get it, like, that should be an easy thing to solve, in my opinion, if you were elected leader. I don't know if that's anything

easy in that position, but you get the point. I do, and you know, it's funny. This is exactly what we were talking about after the first debate in medicine hat, because the feds had just come out with this fertilizer cap. And I made a joke with somebody. Like, I grew up in rural Saskatchman, and I remember in class, we were all licking potash, right? Because I don't know if you've ever done this, but it's salty. And we learned about fertilizer.

I grew up, you know, my grandparents had a farm. and in high school, I was living on the farm. My dad had a small cow cap operation and drove truck, like hauled grain, short haul. And so my kids, when they were younger and we would go visit, my dad just sold the farm. But we would go and they would pick the grass and take it over to the cows. And then we would talk about, well, steak comes from cows. And, you know, here's the cows out there enjoying the sunshine and eating grass. And this is where our food comes from.

And, you know, we were talking about that. Now I'm raising my kids. I live in Calgary. How do we make sure that the next generation knows where their food comes from, knows where their energy comes from. These are things that really matter. And I think, yeah, it starts in the curriculum. And I know this is mentioned in the curriculum,

but it's something that people have raised with me that they want to see really highlighted in our curriculum moving forward so that kids know, you know, not just in Alberta, but it's important for Alberta because agriculture and energy are two of our biggest industries. But I think it's important for future generations to know that. And as somebody who grew up, you know, where I did, and now I'm raising my kids where I am, it's something that is sure top of mind for me.

So I'm glad that you raised that because it's something we've been talking a lot about over the last couple of weeks. And, you know, I think when people talk about a rural urban divide, it's all about just listening to people and putting yourself in their shoes. I mean, my first job ever was in a small town cafe. So I joke that politics started on Coffee Row, but really it's important. It's important to have those conversations. And going back to the beginning where I said, look, I think caucus needs to meet outside of Calgary and Edmonton.

We need to start our day in rural Alberta at Coffee Row listening to everyday Albertans and hearing what's top of mind for them. Those are ways that we break down those divides. But I also don't think it's that simple. I think, you know, we have a lot more in common than divide us. Yeah, I think when when we talk rural urban divide, I don't even think of politicians. Like, I mean, obviously at a higher form you do, I think of a population. Like you just have different way of life, different thoughts. Certainly, like, I joke all the time.

I grew up on a farm. And yet I swear, I've forgotten more now living in a city than I, you know, then a lot of people care to admit, I guess. Is it and I go like, but yet I still understand a bunch of where these, you know, the bridge of gap, I'm kind of in the middle somewhere, right? And so when I hear you tell, I'm not, you know, I'm wondering, is it possible with the next conservative premier? And we're going to use yourself as the example. Is it possible that you can pull a population? You know, you talk about uniting the conservative party.

Is it possible we can have somebody stand on the stage and instead of pitting us versus them, and I know that rhetoric was difficult, and that's putting it lightly. I saw it enacted on every family core everywhere. Is it possible to stand on the stage and bring it back together, a little kumbaya, but not to get too Bob Marley,

but you understand. With action comes unity and bringing people together. I don't know. With social media, it's an interesting world, right? Is it possible to bring, bridge this gap we have, which is starting to look more rural urban, you know, but maybe I'm

wrong in that because you, ma'am, serve Calgary. You're sitting there in one of the largest cities, maybe the largest actually, in Alberta, if memory serves me correct on the numbers. So maybe, maybe you know different. And I got three minutes. So I'm keeping track for you. Yeah, I absolutely think we can unite rural urban. And I don't think that we're as far apart, um, at some sometimes people say. I mean, I've been spending a lot of time in rural Alberta and the issues are largely the same. Stand up and fight for Alberta. Defend our constitutional rights. Healthcare needs to be reformed. We need decisions at the local level. Affordability is top of mind for people. The cost of gas, the cost of milk. That matters to people right now. So we have a lot in common. And when I talk about a

common sense government, it's being able to take the struggles, the frustration, the hopes, the ideas of people from all across Alberta, rural or urban, and making good decisions that make sense for everybody, no matter where they live. So, yeah, I mean, I for one, have had enough with the anger and division. I think a lot of Albertans have as well. And that's why my focus, really in this campaign, is more about what I think Albertans want to see, what I will commit to, what you can expect in me,

not why not the other guys? Because that's exhausting. And we've been through 10 years of that as conservatives. There's been churn and leadership races and, you know, splits and floor crossings and people are exhausted. And I think what will unite us is a positive vision. Where are we headed? Do we care about the economy? Do we care about balanced budgets?

Yes and yes. Why? Because it helps us invest in the things that people need, especially health care education, supports for the most vulnerable, and have somebody who knows what limited government it looks like and has some creative solutions and how to make that a reality. Quickly, what are you most excited about in the future? And in the future, I mean, in the next, like, year to three years span. What, what are you sitting there going, man, what I love to have the opportunity to lead us into this? You know, really, it's that hope and optimism.

Right now, I would say, especially the last couple of weeks, we're starting to see a spring in the step of Albertans again. That is what brought me here. And, you know, I mean, obviously I don't need to tell you this, but in four years of the NDP government, I really saw the confidence of Albertans had been shaken, right? I was door knocking. People were struggling.

They didn't know if they were going to be able to find work. They didn't know how they were going to feed their families. It was heartbreaking. It was devastating. And I think it shook the confidence of Albertans. And I think, you know, we have this real, opportunity to bring back that excitement and optimism. And that's what I'm most excited about.

And also, you know, the challenges that we face right now, yes, do we need to overhaul health care? Absolutely. Do we need to fix some of the greatest challenges that we've ever faced? I mean, I'm an optimist. So if there's a good thing after all we've been through, it's that it's helped us identify some of the places where we need to start first. And those challenges, you know what?

I met with a cardiologist a couple weeks ago and he said, Rebecca, I could save you $20,000 a day just by changing one policy at AHS. I've been asking them for 10, 15 years, I think, well, that's tenacity. But let's just say yes. Let's try some things differently. Let's solve some of the greatest challenges of our time and give people a vision for the future. Like, that's what I'm excited about. Rebecca Schultz giving Alberta its swagger back. That's one way to end an episode.

Thank you for giving me some much a brief snippet into your crazy campaign as you move along. Best of luck. I look forward to meeting you as a listener here is tonight, but of course tomorrow. And best of luck along the way. Thanks again, Rebecca, for hopping on. Well, thanks so much.

I sure appreciate it.