'A number of missteps': Reaction following Jason Kenney’s departure
The race for a new United Conservative Party leader is on.
After receiving a slight majority in the party's leadership review by a 51.4 per cent margin, good enough to keep his job under party rules, Jason Kenney still made the decision to step down as premier.
“We need to move forward united,” said Kenney.
“We need to put the past behind us, and a large number of our members have asked for an opportunity to clear the air through a leadership election.”
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley spoke with the media on Thursday afternoon. She said she sees Kenney's resignation as a chance to take back the role as premier after losing the election to him in 2019.
“When it is called we will be ready, we will be united,” said Notley.
“We will be focused on providing to Albertans the things that actually matter to them. Healthcare, affordability, competent government that they can trust to show up to work and be there for them.”
Alberta Opposition Leader Rachel Notley criticized the province's school re-entry plan Thursday, labelling it 'reckless'.
CHALLENGERS
Danielle Smith and Brian Jean are both throwing their hat in the UCP leadership ring. Smith is the former leader of the Wildrose Party who left the opposition in 2014 to cross the floor to the governing Progressive Conservatives.
Jean previously led the Wildrose Party until it merged into the UCP in 2017, where he lost a contentious battle for the leadership of the new party to Kenney.
Lethbridge mayor Blaine Hyggen said he looks forward to working with whoever is elected as the next UCP leader.
“Our role as council here in Lethbridge is to work with any leader, any level of government and we want to make sure we're there at the table, building those relationships and working on behalf of the citizens of Lethbridge,” said Hyggen.
Blaine Hyggen speaks to supporters Monday night after narrowly winning the election to become the new mayor of Lethbridge, Alta.
One Lethbridge political scientist at the U of L however believes the UCP may not survive after Kenney’s resignation and some of the turmoil that took place during his tenure.
“It’s going to take something of a miracle worker to keep them together, but again there’s kind of a long history of this,” said Trevor Harrison.
“We’ve seen this over some 25 years now of the conservative party whatever that is, eating its own.”
Harrison also said after Kenney’s landside win over Notley in the 2019 election, his voters had high hopes that the newl- elected premier would become Alberta’s ‘saviour’ so to speak, but things didn’t pan out the way Kenney or his voters had envisioned.
“There were a number of missteps that he took and scandals that occurred,” said Harrison.
“I think he simply lost the confidence of Albertans.”
Since the 2004 election in Alberta the province has had seven premiers. Of those seven, Rachel Notley is the only one to serve an entire elected term.
The next UCP leader could be announced at any time, but the latest the next provincial election could be held is May 31 of next year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.