EDMONTON — Future Alberta MLAs will be limited to serving only three terms — and premier two — under a Jim Prentice government, the PC leadership candidate said Thursday.

The former Calgary Conservative MP said he would grandfather the new limits in one of his first pieces of legislation if he wins the provincial Tory leadership race next month.

He told about 80 supporters at his downtown Edmonton campaign office he will also increase cooling off periods to one year from six months for ministerial staff and public service employees and eliminate automatic severances.

“I will put in place and enforce new rules to ensure the highest ethical standards and accountability requirements among those who serve the public,” he said in a speech titled End of Entitlements and Restoring Public Trust.

Prentice slammed the current Alberta government as “out of touch” and said Albertans have good reason to be angry over the manner in which it has operated in the past few years.

“It has lost the trust of Albertans; lost its connection with the people,” he said. “It is time to channel our anger into positive and lasting change that is going to benefit this province.”

Former PC MLA David Coutts, 69, who was in the crowd, said Prentice has “a total uphill battle” to restore the trust of Albertans in the 43-year-old Tory government.

“I liked his concept ... about making government more accountable to people’s wishes,” he said. “I think that is really, really, important.”

The former four-term Livingstone-Macleod MLA appeared less enthusiastic about term limits, but said it will be great to have a debate about them.

“I think in some ways it provides an opportunity for government to refresh itself, but that debate has got to happen and I am glad he brought it forward,” he said.

The idea drew mixed reaction from Conservative backers on social media, but Bridget Pastoor, the three-term MLA for Lethbridge-East, applauded the proposal and said it would ensure new people with fresh ideas are entering politics.

“Bingo, right on, absolutely. I support all of that,” Pastoor said of the Prentice plan, noting she wouldn’t have any problem following such legislation.

“I’ve been yapping about term limits and cleaning up houses and everything for a long time. I think it’s health for democracy.”

Pastoor doesn’t know if the idea will divide her Tory colleagues, but notes she supports both term limits and increased transparency.

“I know the opposite argument to that has always been, well, you know, if you’re not doing a good job, they can always throw you out on an election,” she said. “But I think it keeps people from becoming entrenched. This is supposed to be public service, not a career.”

George Rogers, the three-term Tory MLA for Leduc-Beaumont, was less certain of its merits.

“Simply put, I think if the people are willing to send somebody back (to the legislature), then they should be there. But that’s just my first reaction.”

A former mayor of Leduc and past president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, Rogers said people have not raised the issue of term limits with him.