UCP hopeful focusing on key issues in Lethbridge West
By Lethbridge Herald on August 30, 2024.
John Middleton-Hope is one of three candidates hoping to earn the support of UCP members to run in a riding byelection against either Rob Miyashiro or Bridget Mearns of the NDP.
Herald photo by Al BeeberAl Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
With decades of experience in law enforcement and academics as well as three years under his belt in municipal politics, John Middleton-Hope has his sights on representing Lethbridge West in the Alberta legislature.
The seat has been vacant since Shannon Phillips resigned on July 1, just over a year into her third term representing the NDP in the riding.
Middleton-Hope is one of three candidates who hope to earn the opportunity to represent the UCP in a by-election. The others are Erin Leclerc and Shauna Gruninger.
Middleton-Hope says he brings experience and expertise to the riding. He is focused on four specific matters of concern to riding residents – public safety, health care, education and infrastructure.
In an interview at his westside home, Middleton-Hope said his experience includes policing, government, international consulting and academics for 47 years.
Most of his career in policing was spent in leadership positions, he said.
He started at a young age in policing and brings decades of leadership experience to the riding.
“Experience is really important” as is expertise, he said.
He’s got two undergraduate degrees in criminology and sociology as well as a masters in leadership and development through the University of Calgary. He is also a graduate of the Canadian Police College and the FBI National Academy who has instructed at both institutions and around the world on leadership.
Middleton-Hope also says he has “a ton of energy to move this forward.”
He has a diverse group of supporters behind his efforts because “I have spent the last three years on council developing relationships and in my view, that’s critical. So when people ask me why are you running, why did you come back out of academia and why did you run for city council and why are you running for the UCP in Lethbridge West, I’ll tell you quite honestly I saw things that were occurring in this city that I felt I could contribute to helping.”
He said West Lethbridge needs “effective representation” and believes the riding hasn’t gotten it under the NDP.
Council has made herculean efforts to work with Alberta government ministers and has been successful in efforts to advocate on behalf of Lethbridge residents. It also has a good relationship with Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas, he said.
Public service, he said, is a calling.
He’s heard often from residents about areas that need to be focused upon for the longevity and growth and development of Lethbridge.
Foremost is public safety because without it attracting businesses, doctors and investment won’t happen, the candidate believes.
“So we need to be laser-focused on providing for a safe city,” he said.
Safety and security are “absolutely foundational to a good quality of life in our city,” said the candidate who pushed for an encampment strategy here. He said it was a disaster in its first year and he pushed to develop a comprehensive model where police, fire, regulatory services and the City would together on dismantling encampments, calling it essential to prevent them from being entrenched.
Other communities are leveraging the lessons learned here, he said, with Edmonton modelling its encampment strategy after Lethbridge’s.
The health care system is also important and he calls it in crisis not only in this city but across North America.
“We don’t have enough healthcare professionals,” including doctors, specialists and nurses, he said, but council has worked during its term to bring 24 doctors here and is working with the province to establish a catheterization lab in the city. He knows personally how important such a lab is to southern Alberta.
“If we establish this catheterization lab in Lethbridge, the number of patients and families that will not have to go up to Calgary is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 25 to 30 a week.”
He says the administration of AHS is another concern, adding Premier Danielle Smith is working tirelessly with doctors, nurses, administrators and hospitals to solve complex problems which “won’t be solved overnight.”
“We’re coming at this from a solution based approach.”
The UCP is trying to repair a system that has been in decline for decades, he said.
Middleton-Hope also believes in quality education in Lethbridge and has worked tirelessly to ensure growth of schools and post-secondary education. He drafted a motion adopted by Alberta Municipalities to defer the cost of holding school land, sometimes for years. When a school project is announced, communities have to allocate specific funds to hold the land, sometimes in the millions of dollars. And while that money returns to municipalities, that’s only when schools are built which ties up important capital so a proposal has been made to end that system.
He has also advocated with council for the new medical school program at the U of L and increases to funding for the university and Lethbridge Polytechnic to meet the demands of a growing student population.
He says infrastructure is “vital to a good quality of life and is critical for sustainable development. Water is key for quality of life and the growth of our city. I have brought forward motions for a water management conservation strategy due to drought conditions and I continue to advocate with the government of Alberta for funding of water and wastewater treatment facility upgrades,” he said.
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Looks like a real happy, friendly cop… I mean guy!
UCP graft:
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theglobeandmail.com Alberta’s Finance Minister accepted tickets to watch Edmonton Oilers playoff games in luxury suiteCarrie Tait
5–6 minutes
Open this photo in gallery:
Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner delivers the 2024 provincial budget in Edmonton, on Feb. 29. Horner says Sam Mraiche, the founder of MHCare Medical, invited him to watch from a suite during the first and third round of the NHL playoffs at Rogers Place.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
Alberta’s Finance Minister twice accepted tickets to watch the Edmonton Oilers from a luxury suite during this spring’s playoff run, and said while he believes the province’s recently relaxed ethics rules are adequate, he is open to adjusting them to improve transparency.
Nate Horner, at an unrelated press conference Thursday, said Sam Mraiche, the founder of MHCare Medical, invited him to watch from a suite during the first and third round of the NHL playoffs at Rogers Place. MHCare was involved in the province’s troubled $75-million deal to import children’s pain-relief medicine from Turkey.
Mr. Horner’s disclosure, delivered after questioning from reporters, means four cabinet ministers and Premier Danielle Smith have confirmed they accepted pricey hockey tickets from organizations with ties to the government. Mr. Horner refused to reveal which ministers and political staff joined him in Mr. Mraiche’s suites.
When asked why the government keeps information about gifts under wraps despite ruling them acceptable, Mr. Horner indicated a willingness to revise the rules in favour of proactive disclosure.
“It is a conversation that I guess we’re having here. If there’s more changes that need to be made, I’m sure they’ll take that into consideration,” Mr. Horner told reporters.
The Globe and Mail in July first reported Ms. Smith and others in her government attended multiple Oilers games after the UCP, late last year, rolled out changes to the Alberta Conflicts of Interest Act to ease the ethical standards governing the acceptance of gifts. Under the new rules, the Premier’s chief of staff signs off on costly gifts, such as hockey or concert tickets, for political employees and they do not have to be released publicly. The changes also made it easier for MLAs to accept gifts, with delayed public disclosure.
Ms. Smith, at a press conference July 22, said she and her chief of staff each wrote a letter to the ethics commissioner asking for advice interpreting the Conflicts of Interest Act. Her office has not acknowledged repeated requests to release the letters.
Ian Greene, a professor emeritus at York University who wrote two books on governments and ethics, said Alberta went too far when it eased rules governing conflicts of interest.
“It looks really bad,” said Mr. Greene, who worked for a cabinet minister in Alberta when Peter Lougheed was premier. “The Premier, the cabinet ministers, staffers, shouldn’t be getting any special privileges that aren’t open to other people.”
Mr. Horner echoed Ms. Smith’s defence when discussing the tickets Thursday.
“It was all within the rules,” he said.
The Finance Minister’s disclosure adds to the growing list of United Conservative Party politicians who have confirmed they accepted Oilers tickets. Joseph Schow, on July 22, told The Globe and Mail and another reporter he attended Oilers games, but refused to say who provided tickets.
“I’m the Minister of Tourism and Sport,” he said. “I got invited by lots of friends and stakeholders. So I’m not going to go into detail about that.”
Mr. Schow, when asked whether complying with Alberta’s legal standard meant he was free of conflicts of interest, said: “I followed the rules.”
Ms. Smith, at a press conference that same day, confirmed she attended two games in Edmonton and one in Vancouver. She said she was not among MHCare’s guests. Ms. Smith has confirmed an Invest Alberta board member provided her and two staff members with tickets to the Vancouver game. Mr. Mraiche watched the game from the same suite, according to newswire photos.
The Premier told Postmedia that Explore Edmonton, the local tourism agency, and the Oilers provided her with tickets in Alberta’s capital. Explore Edmonton confirmed it hosted Ms. Smith in its loge seating when the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars to win the Western Conference on June 2.
Mike Ellis, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, at a July 3 party tied to the Calgary Stampede told The Globe he attended a playoff game. When questioned at a press conference on July 23, he confirmed he went to one game and said the Oilers played host.
Tim Shipton, the executive vice-president of communications for the Oilers, has not responded to multiple inquiries seeking confirmation that his organization provided tickets.
Nathan Neudorf, Alberta’s Minister of Affordability and Utilities, first confirmed Mr. Mraiche invited him to a game. Mr. Mraiche has not returned multiple messages asking for comment. The Premier declined a recent interview request, and her office has not acknowledged repeated messages seeking comment.
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lol. I smell 16.00 orange juice.
calgary.ctvnews.ca Lawyer who represented ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers appointed to Alberta police review board~3 minutes
A lawyer who previously represented “Freedom Convoy” organizers has been appointed to an Alberta government police review board.
Brendan Miller, based in Calgary, was appointed to the Law Enforcement Review Board on Aug. 27, via a Government of Alberta order in council.
“As my appointment to the Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) is to a quasi-judicial position, it would be inappropriate for me to give a substantive response to your queries,” Miller said in an email when asked for comment about the appointment.
He directed further inquiries to the Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
CTV News asked the minister’s office for comment on Miller’s appointment and his role representing Freedom Corp. during the Public Order Emergency Commission hearings.
“Mr. Miller was appointed to the Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) as the most qualified candidate and brings over a decade of experience as a litigation and appellate lawyer at all levels of Court in Canada as well as numerous tribunals, commissions and boards,” Heather Jenkins, acting press secretary for Mike Ellis, minister of public safety and emergency services, said in an emailed statement.
“Alberta’s government is confident that Mr. Miller’s experience and wealth of knowledge will serve as an asset to the LERB.”
Miller represented the core Freedom Convoy organizers at the Public Order Emergency Commission. He was notably asked to leave the meeting room following a tense exchange with the commissioner overseeing the proceedings.
A defamation suit filed against Miller by a lobbying firm due to comments made during the hearing was resolved outside of court last year.
“There are many Albertans who could serve on the Law Enforcement Review Board and help uphold public trust in police,” Alberta NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir said in an emailed statement.
“Danielle Smith has appointed the lawyer for the convoy protest to the board, who was ejected from the Rouleau Commission by security for unruly behaviour. This appears to be yet another attempt to please the far right of the party, and it shows just how far from mainstream Alberta society the UCP has drifted.”
The LERB hears appeals on decisions about police officer complaints and the cancellation of peace officer appointments, according to the province’s website.
With files from CTVNews.ca’s Rachel Aiello and The Canadian Press
Obviously he had no clue about the issues in our community or he wouldn’t be running for the UCP.