UCP appoints former Conservative MP to Olds College board of governors

At the recommendation of Demetrios Nicolaides, the minister of advanced education, Alberta’s lieutenant governor approved yesterday the recent appointment of Ted Menzies to the board of governors for Olds College.

Menzies served as a federal Conservative MP between 2003 and 2014 in Alberta’s Macleod riding. During the latter part of his term, he served as minister of state for finance. Alberta’s premier Jason Kenney was serving as minister of citizenship, immigration, and multiculturalism while Menzies was in Stephen Harper’s cabinet.

Menzies has made several donations to political parties over the years. In 2013, he donated $500 to the PC party; $531.96 in 2014; and $375.00 in 2015. He donated $500 to the United Conservatives in 2018.

His spouse, Sandy, has also donated: $500 to the PCs in 2013 and $687.50 in 2014, as well $250 to the UCP in last year’s provincial election and $250 to the Roger Reid’s campaign last year.

Ted donated $319.63 to Jim Prentice’s 2014 PC leadership campaign, and Sandy donated $425.00 to Richard Starke’s 2017 PC leadership campaign.

Specific to education, Menzies opposed a bill (which ultimately passed anyhow) in 2008 that would have the federal government offering a $5,000 tax break to anyone who deposited $5,000 into a registered education savings plan. He referred to the tax break as “irresponsible”. He was parliamentary secretary to the finance minister at the time and vowed to stop the bill from passing in the senate.

Also appointed to the board was Paul McLauchlin, a biologist from Bluffton. He’s the Reeve of Ponoka County as well. McLauchlin’s political donations include $1,000 to the Alberta Party in 2011 and $500 in 2012, as well as a $500 during Jason Nixon’s 2015 Wildrose election campaign.

Originally published at kimsiever.ca on 10 July 2020.