Speaker and local MLA Ken Kowalski is calling it a career, announcing Friday he will not run in the next election.
In a statement sent to the media, Kowalski said he is ready to step out of the spotlight of public life. He said keeping up with the demands of his constituents and the job are taking their toil and he is ready to have some time to himself.
“All I do is get in my car and drive from Edmonton to St. Albert to Morinvillle to Legal to Clyde to Barrhead to Westlock to Tawatinaw to Swan Hills and then back again,” he said. “70,000 kilometres and 700 hours later I am saying OK this is wonderful, but I don’t have a life.”
Kowalski was first elected in 1979 and has run successfully in nine campaigns since. He is the longest serving MLA in the legislature and the only one to serve under all four Progressive Conservative premiers.
During his time in office he held several ministerial portfolios, as well as acting as speaker for more than a decade.
There was speculation about his pending departure from politics last summer, but Kowalski put those rumours to rest in August when he declared he would again seek the nomination. Kowalski won his nomination this fall after no one stepped forward to challenge him. He said in his resignation letter that the party would now have to hold a new nomination race.
Kowalski said in August he felt ready for the challenge of more time in public office, but he no longer feels that way.
“You know the old saying, a week in politics can be a lifetime? Well, that was six months ago.”
Premier Alison Redford released a statement wishing Kowalski well and thanking him for his decades of service.
“He served as speaker of the house with endless grace and dignity, treating every member with fairness and respect. In his role as MLA for Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, he brought an incredible depth of knowledge about Alberta to the assembly and applied it, to the benefit of the people of this province.”
She said Kowalski had offered her support and guidance in her career.
“Ken never hesitated to offer me the wealth of his accumulated wisdom and I will miss him tremendously when he’s gone.”
Kowalski said he believes the Tories are in a good place politically at the moment, which also makes it easier to leave.
“The premier is very impressive, all the polls and all the numbers are saying we are going to be doing really, really well.”
MLAs are given a transition allowance when they leave the legislature that is equal to three months pay for every year of service. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a group that would like to see changes to this system, estimates Kowalski’s payout will be $1.27 million.
Former Supreme Court Justice Jack Major is currently reviewing MLA pay and privileges and Kowalski said while he has some opinions on changes to the system, he promised he would allow the justice to work on the issue.
“I hope he comes up with some recommendations, but I am not going to make any comment on it because I promised him I wouldn’t.”
