The potential for the next Highwood MLA being selected next week is a high one. Sure, there is the thing called the provincial election expected to take place next spring, but in this neck of the woods, the contestant who wins the Highwood United Conservative Party nomination on Oct. 16, has a straighter path to Edmonton than taking the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Anything other than a UCP win in Highwood in the next election would be an upset of David and Goliath proportions. It’s a toss-up as to who will be selected in the new Highwood, which dropped High River and picked up Turner Valley/Black Diamond. All of the contestants — not candidates at this stage — apparently — have political experience. Carrie Fischer is a former Okotoks town councillor and lost as the now defunct PC candidate to incumbent Wayne Anderson. Dean Leask has 20 years of experience both federally and provincially in the background and RJ Sigurdson has been president of the UCP and former PC Highwood community association. The highlights of a forum on Oct. 3, was the implication — particularly by Fischer — more should have been done by Anderson in attempts to bring a pipeline to Okotoks. The incumbent staunchly defended his record on the issue. It will now be up to those Highwood UCP members to choose in all likelihood the next MLA for the Okotoks area. While winning the election for the Highwood constituency is likely for the UCP candidate, forming the next government is not a sure thing, even with Jason Kenney driving a united front of conservatives. Going forward, the UCP has to be careful not to falter on non-fiscal issues — where it has shot itself in the foot in the past. The party can get off to the right foot by choosing a strong candidate on Oct. 16.
