Former conservative MP Jeff Watson enters Battle River-Crowfoot race

Watson with former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Image courtesy of Jeff Watson

With rural crime reaching a crisis in Alberta and our oil and gas sector facing threats to its future, Jeff Watson, a Harper-era Conservative MP, is stepping forward to run for the federal Conservative nomination in Battle River-Crowfoot.

Watson, his wife Sarah of 22 years, and their six kids currently reside in Calgary where Jeff works with UCP Transportation Minister Ric McIver.

Sarah works for Calgary Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie. “I am a country boy at heart. I grew up helping my Baba farm, learning from her the value of family and country life, hard work, and pride in a job well-done,” noted Watson. “I had the privilege of living in and representing a rural district. Our values and experience are rural. Battle River- Crowfoot is where we want to set down our roots.”

Watson has already been knocking on doors in communities across Battle River-Crowfoot, listening to residents concerns, proposing concrete solutions to pressing problems identified, and recruiting new members to the Conservative Party to support its nomination process.

Watson served in caucus with Kevin Sorenson, as Conservative MP (Essex) from 2004 to 2015; and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport from 2013 to 2015 where he helped ensure rail companies moved western grain.

He also fought for our oil and gas sector and against foreign-funded groups seeking to shut them down at the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development for more than six years.

“Rural communities face real, immediate challenges,” says Watson, who has made Alberta his home after serving as MP for the rural farming district of Essex in Southwestern Ontario for over a decade.

“These challenges require practical solutions, and both leadership and experience getting results in the one place where the nominated Conservative candidate may be sent by voters – the House of Commons in Ottawa.”

“While others may have to take years to learn the ropes and build relationships in caucus and Cabinet to move ideas forward,” added Watson, who also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transportation in the Harper Government.

“I’m ready on day one to work on solutions to rural crime, for a future for oil and gas that keeps our young people living in rural communities, for a strong farm gate and processing sector, to lower taxes and axe Trudeau’s carbon tax, and for a fairer deal for Alberta on equalization.”

Watson will be holding a series of open public meetings in June so those who may not have been home when he knocked their door will have a chance to provide advice, offer ideas, and ask questions.

“I invite everyone to take the full measure of me, my values, my record and experience,” he said.

At present, a nomination meeting and vote has not been scheduled.

 

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