One of the youngest people ever elected to St. Albert city council is looking to make the jump to provincial politics.
One of the youngest people ever elected to St. Albert city council is looking to make the jump to provincial politics.
On Sunday, former councillor Neil Korotash announced he would be seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in the riding of Spruce Grove-St. Albert.
Korotash joins Rus Matichuk and Kathleen Range in the race to replace Doug Horner, who resigned as MLA as of the end of January, as the PC nominee.
Korotash, 34, served two terms on council after being elected in 2001.
A life-long St. Albert resident, the biology, math and urban agriculture high school teacher is married with two children.
Alberta is facing fiscal challenges and needs to find a way to get out of the boom/bust cycles, Korotash said.
“I'm inspired to be part of the solution,” he said.
Korotash would like to see more sustainable finances, and listed environmental issues as an important policy consideration of his.
“I know it may not be the most popular thing in all conservative circles, but I think we do need to strengthen some of our environmental policies around protecting our watershed, controlling emissions,” he said “Alberta can continue to be a global leader in energy by investing in sustainable energy technology.”
Korotash also has some strong opinions on health care and education, and is pleased Premier Jim Prentice has stated he still plans to build all the promised schools despite the falling price of oil.
“You need to have the infrastructure for the people that are continuing to move into the province,” Korotash said.
On the educational front, he's also interested in the debates around curriculum redesign and the issue of teachers' wages.
He's only recently rejoined the Progressive Conservative party and has generally not been involved with provincial party politics, but doesn't think that will be a disadvantage.
Korotash said he would enjoy engaging with Spruce Grove and St. Albert residents.
“Engaging with the public is one of the things that I missed the most about city council and being able to meet with people and learn from people and share with people on a regular basis,” he said.
The nomination vote is set for Feb. 21 in Spruce Grove.
