Alberta Premier Alison Redford says her thoughts are with Ralph Klein and his family amid reports the former premier’s battle with illness has taken a turn for the worse.
“He is a great man, and he redefined this province. And his legacy is important,” Redford told reporters following a luncheon speech Wednesday.
“This is the time to talk about that legacy, but right now not too much.
“Right now we have to respect the fact that the family is going through very difficult times.”
Klein, 70, is in a care home in Calgary battling a form of dementia and a lung disorder.
Klein was the Progressive Conservative premier from 1992 to 2006 and was the mayor of Calgary before that.
On his watch, Alberta became debt free by paying off $23-billion. But Klein was criticized for focusing too much on the debt and not building enough roads, schools and hospitals for the hundreds of thousands of newcomers who arrived during the oil boom last decade.
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Ralph Klein gravely ill; Alberta politicians send words of support - The Globe and Mail
“He is a great man, and he redefined this province. And his legacy is important,” Redford told reporters following a luncheon speech Wednesday.
“This is the time to talk about that legacy, but right now not too much.
“Right now we have to respect the fact that the family is going through very difficult times.”
Klein, 70, is in a care home in Calgary battling a form of dementia and a lung disorder.
Klein was the Progressive Conservative premier from 1992 to 2006 and was the mayor of Calgary before that.
On his watch, Alberta became debt free by paying off $23-billion. But Klein was criticized for focusing too much on the debt and not building enough roads, schools and hospitals for the hundreds of thousands of newcomers who arrived during the oil boom last decade.
more
Ralph Klein gravely ill; Alberta politicians send words of support - The Globe and Mail
