UCP leadership review coming this spring following five-hour-long caucus meeting
The United Conservative Party says it will be moving up its annual general meeting in 2022 from the fall to the spring, and it's Jason Kenney's idea to do so.
"The premier spoke with the president of the party (on Wednesday) and requested that the 2022 UCP AGM take place in the spring," said Dave Prisco, UCP director of communications.
"The party is working to confirm a date and venue to make it a reality."
The meeting is also expected to be when Kenney’s leadership of the party will be reviewed.
Following a five-hour-long caucus meeting on Wednesday, a no-confidence vote was not held by elected members.
Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao says the meeting was productive.
“It was a lot more civil than I thought and professional,” he told CTV News. “I’m glad that we all understand each other.”
Some reports have indicated divisions between party members, including board executives, primarily having to do with Kenney's handling of the pandemic.
UCP backbencher Searle Turton told The Canadian Press that the caucus meeting was wide-ranging, but there was no vote of confidence on Kenney's leadership.
He says the focus of the debate was about the pandemic.
Some of Kenney's caucus members have criticized his health measures as being too little too late, while others say he has gone too far and violated individual rights by imposing a form of voluntary vaccine passports.
The party's vice-president of policy has already called for the premier to resign and says enough constituency associations have signed on to force an early party review and vote on Kenney's leadership.
“We rarely see this happening with a political party because the idea of course is to present a united front to the public, even if you have internal differences,” said University of Alberta political scientist John Church.
“One of the things that may happen if the party itself does not take any action as we may see some of the more right wing MLA split off.”
Former premier Rachel Notley’s director of communications and campaign strategist Leah Ward says Kenney’s job is safe for now.
“Jason Kenney likely isn't going anywhere, anytime soon,” she said.
“Being removed as premier would require either a vote of non confidence in the legislature or a leadership review.”
The UCP still plan on holding this year’s AGM at the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino in November.
Kenney said Tuesday he would welcome a leadership review.
"When you’re in an elected office, in one sense your job is always conditional,” he said.
“I’m happy to be held accountable to the members of my party.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sits out 3rd straight game to open the playoffs
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sat out his third straight game to open the playoffs Wednesday night because of an undisclosed injury.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.