Motz seeks fourth decisive election win

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Collin Gallant
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Medicine Hat’s Conservative Party candidate says he’s motivated to solve Canada’s problems during another term in office.

Glen Motz has held the seat of Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner for almost nine years, and is now in his fourth election campaign.

“Our country is not what it was, not when I grew up,” Motz told Southern Alberta Newspapers earlier this month. “That’s a direct result of the policies of the last nine and a half years. It’s a huge motivational factor to get involved and stay involved.”

In the April 28 general election Motz as incumbent faces three challengers: Jocelyn Johnson (New Democrat), Tom Rooke (Liberal) and Andy Shadrack (Green Party).

Motz, a retired police inspector with the Medicine Hat Police Service, first won the seat in the House of Commons in a 2016 byelection. He secured 70 per cent of total votes that year, then increased to 79 per cent in the 2019 election when the Liberal Party formed the first of two minority governments.

He served as an associate critic for the opposition Conservatives, including on public safety, and served on the Common’s National Defence Committee and as a member of the special joint committee on the declaration of emergency measures related to the COVID pandemic.

He has also been a frequent critic of Liberal government policy and programs, and told Southern Alberta Newspapers the current election should be a referendum on that party’s nine-year government.

“Economics, crime and safety, mental health and addictions, there’s a lot of brokenness in our country with our people,” he said. “I think some sound leadership, good polices that really address the compassionate needs of people, put people and the economy first, Canada first and Canadians first, is what this country finally needs.”

“The things we’re taking about now in this plan are generally the things we’ve been talking about all along.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre steadily built party support in the polls since late 2022, but with the departure of Justin Trudeau earlier this year – and reframing issues with the backdrop of U.S. trade tension – national polls have largely reversed.

Motz has said that new Liberal promises are “carbon copies” of longstanding Conservative policies.

“As opposition we’ve pushed for things that the government has largely ignored,” he said. “If we’re privileged to form the next government, we’ll be doing the things that Canadians have been asking us to do for a long time.”

Some items in the Conservative platform have become standard planks in years past, such as the idea of nationwide infrastructure corridors where large projects could be sped along.

The CPC has also long argued against carbon levies and an environmental plan that displaces coal emissions in other countries by exporting cleaner-burning liquid natural gas.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives vow to end consumer carbon pricing, but differ on industrial pricing.

Among several Conservative crime proposals would be a three-strikes law for serious crimes that requires 10-year minimum sentences.

The CPC has also promoted housing plans and affordability measures.

On national unity, Motz said a Conservative government would respect Alberta as an equal partner in Confederation, and on U.S. relations, he sees Poilievre as the best option to deal with the U.S. administration.

“We condemn tariffs and we’ve been clear about that,” he said. “But it’s far from over. I think having a strong, balanced approach will get us through.”