Jason Kenney Leadership Review: After barely passing a leadership assessment, Jason Kenney has decided to step down as the UCP’s leader. A leadership probe has shown that the party he established has been split, causing a political upheaval in the province of Alberta. In the party’s leadership election, held on Wednesday night in Calgary, Kenney garnered 51.4% of the vote. His party was shocked when he announced his inability to serve as the host following the announcement of the results.
Kenney said that while 51% of the vote is a majority, it is not enough to retain leadership. That is why I am resigning from my position as the party’s head of state.” Spruce Meadows, a ski resort south of Calgary, was the site of the announcement. The atmosphere in the room changed when Kenney admitted that the result wasn’t what he’d hoped for and that the party desired a change in leadership. Kenney responds with an apology and the explanation that they must go ahead as a team. According to many, it’s time to move on from the past and start anew. One person asked another, “Are you happy now?” He’s done well in my opinion.
To beat the New Democratic Party in 2019, Kenney brought the Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties together and returned to Alberta five years after leaving federal politics. On Wednesday night, party insiders were astonished by the news. According to Kenney’s campaign, he could win with only 50% plus one of the votes, but he was openly hinting at a bigger win. As stunned as everyone else in the room was, Kenney was in excellent spirits. The audience cheered as he stepped down from the podium and rapidly made his way out the door. Attendees of the occasion who were sipping on cocktails praised Kenney’s choice.
He behaved in a Responsible Manner
His leadership style and his handling of the epidemic had already been criticized for months before he decided to shut down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some in Kenney’s caucus have criticized his pandemic response, calling for his resignation. To put too many limitations in place under COVID-19, Kenney implemented vaccine passports. His critics charged that he underestimated the coronavirus by reopening in 2021 too soon, when he anticipated the “greatest summer ever,” only to see case counts rise once more.
The UCP’s internal party elections in Alberta are expected to be acrimonious, based on previous experience. The next generation of leaders has been recognized. Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews, according to a government source, is considering running for the presidency. Insiders have also included Doug Schweitzer, Rajan Sawhney, and Jason Nixon, Canada’s ministers of employment, economic development, and innovation. Canada’s politicians reacted immediately to the news that broke on Wednesday night. Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley thanked Kenney on Twitter, stressing the importance of his new role. Even while we disagree on many issues, “it doesn’t take away from the time and sacrifice,” Notley said. ” It’s not easy to get a job. It’s possible that today will be a long and stressful one.
She sent her warmest wishes to Jason
Ex-BC premier Christy Clark expressed her disappointment over Kenney’s resignation. “You always did what was right, not what was fashionable,” she wrote. “Canadians benefit from it.” Kenney is the next domino to fall in this meat-grinder province. Since Ralph Klein’s defeat in 2006, Alberta’s first full-term premier has been Rachel Notley. In the wake of a leadership rating of 55%, Klein resigned, four points ahead of Kenney.
Ed Stelmach, who was to take Klein’s position as a premier, resigned after being found guilty of mismanagement of the province’s finances. Excessive spending was cited as the reason for Alison Redford’s resignation just months after she was given a 77 percent rating in a leadership review.
Members of Alberta’s party hoped Kenney Mend Fences
A visibly agitated Whitney Isaak, who spoke briefly to reporters at an event where journalists were not allowed to ask questions, said: “At this moment, we are all united in the idea that… Albertans’ interests are the most important for all of us.” More will be revealed during the caucus meeting on Thursday, said Isaak, a Calgary-Glenmore MLA and Associate Minister for Women. Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver refused to answer any questions, indicating that things were “weird,” but that he was alright nonetheless.
Recent surveys show that Kenney’s UCP is losing ground against the NDP. According to a recent ThinkHQ poll, only 29% of Albertans favor Kenney, and nearly two-thirds of them want him out of office. The vote proved to be a roadblock. Planned in-person voting in Red Deer, a small city between Edmonton and Calgary that serves as the province’s symbolic heart, was canceled in favor of postal ballots in late March. Voters who showed up in person to cast their ballots reportedly threatened to flood voting centers, but some are dubious after a format change that delayed the final result by a month.
Jason Kenney, the UCP’s leader, resigned owing to a lack of resources. Premier Jason Kenney sent Alberta politics into a tailspin on Wednesday when he won the UCP leadership poll and then quit. Kenney indicated at an exclusive luncheon in Calgary that there wasn’t enough support for him to stay on. Kenney addressed the throng, which included cabinet officials, saying, “The result is not what I hoped for or expected.” “Even if a constitutional majority of 51 percent is required to stay in power, this is insufficient to ensure one’s leadership position. “My resignation as leader of the United Conservative Party was announced to the party’s president tonight.
“Alberta must get back on track,” Loewen Says
The party’s founder, Erika Barootes, has warned that selecting a new leader in the year running up to the May 2023 provincial election will be tough and costly. It’s difficult to say. Minister of Status of Women Whitney Isaak made the following statements in Calgary: “The prime minister has stated his objectives. The results have been released. Before any additional choices can be made, a caucus must be conducted. We are all in agreement that the interests of Albertans are our top priority. Kenney realized he didn’t have the moral authority or political power to repress his opponents, according to political expert Lori Williams.
The review became increasingly crucial due to bad polling and a lack of support from the Republican Party and the caucus. It was marred by acrimony. The election in Red Deer, Alberta, had been postponed for more than a year. Because the number of people who signed up was five times higher than planned, the party opted to convert to a mail-in ballot for all 59,000 members. According to detractors, the adjustment benefited Kenney’s in-person vote. Electoral Alberta is also investigating reports of mass membership purchases. The RCMP is still investigating claims of criminal identity fraud made against the party in 2017.
Kenney claimed that the vote and outspoken opposition jeopardized party unity. Loewen and Barnes have become independent after being kicked out of the caucus for criticizing Kenney. Jason Stephan has just been joined by Peter Guthrie and Jean in speaking out. The Prime Minister was strongly urged to resign for the sake of the party. A number of members of the caucus are unhappy with Kenney’s management style. Those opposed to Kenney argued he hadn’t gone far enough in revising Alberta’s federal program agreements.
The Canadian Press reported this on May 18, 2022.
