A former heavyweight in Alberta politics says that he won’t be running for leadership of the PC Party and voters deserve better.
Jim Dinning, a former veteran cabinet minister, ran to replace Ralph Klein in 2006, but ended up losing to Ed Stelmach.
He says now that Redford is gone; someone new is needed to lead the party and the province.
Dinning says PCs need to elect someone who puts voters first and doesn’t see the party as privileged and entitled.
He wrote in a newspaper column on Wednesday that he’d prefer to see someone from outside the party take on the role.
“Someone who’ll tackle the gusto, the dysfunction, within.”
Political analysts say Dinning’s announcement is the first time that a major figure, who many expected to run, says that they won’t because of the situation the party is in.
“That’s fairly damning to the party,” says Bob Murray with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Labour Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said there is something to Dinning’s critique.
“He has provided a different point of view and I think it would be wise for all of us to take that into consideration.”
Murray says that all this turmoil points to the fact that finding a new leader for the party is proving to be more of a challenge.
“Is there someone that genuinely wants to come in and would be capable of gaining the trust of the party, to be able to actually lead?”
No one has officially declared themselves in the race so far.
The vote will take place this September.
(With files from CTV Edmonton)
