McAllister seeks PC nomination in Springfield-Ritchot

A St Adolphe resident is the first to announce his intent to seek the PC nomination in Springfield-Ritchot, following long-time MLA Ron Schuler’s announcement that he will not be seeking re-election.

Schuler has been an MLA since 1999, and Adam McAllister said the time was right for him to give back in a new way.

“It’s something that I’ve been pondering for a while, but more seriously after Ron Schuler announced he wasn’t going to run,” McAllister said.

A University of Manitoba graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, McAllister has spent the last eight years working in the consulting, engineering and manufacturing sector, collaborating with business and public-sector partners across Manitoba.

At 31, he knows that stepping into the shoes of the 62-year-old Schuler who served for 27 years, will be a challenge.

“Ron Schuler leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of service and principled leadership,” he said. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to put my name forward and work to serve this community with the same level of care, competence and character.”

McAllister said he admires Schuler’s willingness to have conversations with his constituents as well as his work ethic.

McAllister has never been elected to office though he’s been involved in community service and civic engagement since his teenage years, volunteering through his church, supporting youth initiatives and serving on boards and committees connected to Manitoba’s engineering profession and conservative grassroots movement.

He also sought elected office as a PPC (People’s Party of Canada) candidate in the 2019 federal election, running in St Boniface – St Vital.

“It wasn’t really a serious bid for office,” he said. “It was more just to talk about the principles that I believe in; small government, balanced budgets that kind of thing.”

McAllister said he’s a people-person who can understand larger projects thanks to his engineering background and can also handle criticism.

He said he looks forward to being able to represent his generation, and focus on affordability pressures, housing challenges and economic uncertainty, problems he said are exacerbated by the NDP’s ballooning deficits.

“I don’t think that the NDP government is doing a good job of that and that’s going to cause a lot of hardship and challenges financially for us as a province,” he said. “They talk about developing resources and access to tidewaters in Churchill but there hasn’t been a ton of action in those areas historically.”

Working with First Nations to achieve a more prosperous province and develop those resources is a priority for him.

Maintaining core services such as healthcare, transportation, flood protection and senior care are also priorities.

He said it’s important that people of his generation are represented but also that’s it’s important to have mentorship opportunities with those who have experience.

“Our community needs leadership that understands both the pressures facing younger individuals and families today and the importance of maintaining reliable services for those who have helped build these communities,” he said. “That requires responsible, disciplined government focused on long-term prosperity.”

More information can be found at adammcallister.ca.