Rod Fox, MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka, has left the Wildrose Party and has joined the Progressive Conservatives. He was one of nine MLAS, including former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, to join the Tories last week.
In a statement, Fox said it was an “extremely difficult decision.”
“Although this was personally a decision that was reached after many hours of agonizing and soul searching, I feel it is now in the best interests of this area, for me to work from within the government rather than the outside,” he said. “I made my decision minutes before it was due. I was thinking about what is best for Alberta. We have been advocating on a set of values and principles and what has happened, is the government wants to bring the values and principles I campaigned on in the last election to their government.
“It is imperative we come together to make the decisions to chart us through the challenges that lie ahead and make our province stronger than ever.”
Fox was elected as MLA in 2012. “I will continue to champion the same causes as I fought for as an opposition MLA. These include development of a public prioritized infrastructure list for major capital projects and maintenance, addressing Alberta’s school shortage, ensuring each school board is using a grading system that is easy to understand and objectively grades a student’s skills,” he said.
“I also want government to develop a new multi-year fiscal plan based on fiscal conservative principles to maintain triple A credit, to balance and bring an end to debt financing and pay off provincial debt.”
Meanwhile, Fox said his role has not changed because he will now sit as a PC. “I am still the advocate for this area. I was the person asked to take the voice of the constituents to the legislature and I will continue to make sure that voice is heard,” he said.
-Fawcett