Alison Redford puts campaign on hold

Alison Redford has temporarily suspended her campaign to be the next premier of Alberta.

She has gone to be withher family at the High River Hospital in the town south of Calgary because her mother, Helen Redford, has been admitted with a serious illness, her campaign said in a written release.

The Calgary-Elbow MLA has asked her fellow Progressive Conservative leadership candidates Gary Mar and Doug Horner to go forward with a debate planned for Tuesday.

Redford will be also be voting at the advance poll in Calgary Tuesdayfor the second ballotof the Tory leadership race. Voting will wrap up at polls onSaturday with results announced in Edmonton that night.

In thefirst roundof voting Sept. 17, Mar led with 41 per cent of ballots cast, followed by Redford at 19 per cent and Horner at 14.5 per cent.