Just because Premier Jason Kenney is stepping down as leader doesn’t mean it’s all good now within United Conservative Party (UCP) and people can carry on doing the same old with self-absorbed abandon..There’s a lot of healing to do, grudges to get past, fences to mend, a climate of respect to implement, trust to be restored, apologies to make, and people who behave badly to reel in and have a serious talk with..It’s past time for the UCP to grow up and start focusing solely on governing and doing what’s best for Alberta..Kenney sure didn’t fracture the party all by himself, but he surrounded himself with people who helped him do that. .They didn’t do him any favours, and it got out of hand..The evidence lies in the paltry 51.4% vote of support Kenney received in his leadership review; the results of 34,298 votes mailed-in announced Wednesday..Ultimately, the leader is responsible for both his own behaviour and that of those around him, so the leader must take the fall when that behaviour is rejected..And so, Kenney did..He admitted the 51.4% mandate voters handed him wasn’t enough for him to stay on..The grassroots sent him a clear message; a big enough percentage of the grassroots are rural Albertans, many of whom felt either ignored, wrongly accused, or pushed around by Kenney insider MLAs and party officials..Think back to the charades, called annual general meetings, and nomination meetings in Sherwood Park, Chestermere-Strathmore, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, and Cardston-Siksika..Rules were bent, bylaws broken, the rights of members violated — all in favour of Kenney insiders and supporters — often in the presence of UCP board officials who ignored concerns expressed, often not even bothering to answer phone calls or letters from constituency association presidents..It would be interesting to know how many leadership review votes came from these areas. But guaranteed, the majority of those were no votes that came back to bite Kenney from the angry and wounded who once would have followed him anywhere..Parliamentary tradition calls for Kenney to step down in a timely fashion..And so now the search is on for a new UCP leader..Running already are Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean and former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith..Other names are being bandied about — including a name or two from Kenney’s inner circle. They apparently didn’t get the memo Kenney got Wednesday — no more! .If it comes to pass that they are chosen to lead, might as well hand Rachel Notley and her NDP a huge win in the 2023 provincial election..There are a few things the party should ponder as it mulls over who should be the next leader..Whoever is chosen must remember all Albertans are important, not just those who agree with them..And the good of Albertans must supersede ego and power and pettiness..Everybody errs. A strong leader is wise enough to able to admit mistakes, learn from them, and use the lesson to build a better party and province. A wise caucus would recognize and accept that..Who cared enough to publicly stand up for Albertans pleading for jobs and freedoms lost under Kenney’s ruthless COVID-19 restrictions?.Who supported the truckers protesting at the Coutts border in February and the Freedom Convoy 2022 truckers that gave a spark of hope to the world weighed down by often senseless, crushing mandates?.The next UCP leader would have to have the courage to walk into a disgruntled crowd and listen and talk — not hide from or insult them. .Who will be strong enough to stand up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is getting bolder with his authoritarian style of governing, and fight hard for Alberta? .Will the chosen leader be tough enough to teach the boys in short pants — staffers who think they can order elected officials and insult regular Albertans — some manners and humility?.The next UCP leader must recognize the sinister forces at work poisoning young minds in the classroom with inappropriate sex-ed classes and Critical Race Theory nonsense and fight for parental rights..Albertans care about this. The large number of mothers who ventured out to Take Back Alberta meetings held across the province over many months strongly attest to that..Above all, the next UCP leader must remind Albertans why they turned their backs on the NDP and all but booted them out in 2019 when they gave Kenney a 63-seat majority..There are some amazing people in the UCP who care about the people who elected them. .It’s time to unite, tap into what all have to offer, get past party politics and infighting, and focus on showing Albertans the UCP can govern properly. .An election looms.
Just because Premier Jason Kenney is stepping down as leader doesn’t mean it’s all good now within United Conservative Party (UCP) and people can carry on doing the same old with self-absorbed abandon..There’s a lot of healing to do, grudges to get past, fences to mend, a climate of respect to implement, trust to be restored, apologies to make, and people who behave badly to reel in and have a serious talk with..It’s past time for the UCP to grow up and start focusing solely on governing and doing what’s best for Alberta..Kenney sure didn’t fracture the party all by himself, but he surrounded himself with people who helped him do that. .They didn’t do him any favours, and it got out of hand..The evidence lies in the paltry 51.4% vote of support Kenney received in his leadership review; the results of 34,298 votes mailed-in announced Wednesday..Ultimately, the leader is responsible for both his own behaviour and that of those around him, so the leader must take the fall when that behaviour is rejected..And so, Kenney did..He admitted the 51.4% mandate voters handed him wasn’t enough for him to stay on..The grassroots sent him a clear message; a big enough percentage of the grassroots are rural Albertans, many of whom felt either ignored, wrongly accused, or pushed around by Kenney insider MLAs and party officials..Think back to the charades, called annual general meetings, and nomination meetings in Sherwood Park, Chestermere-Strathmore, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, and Cardston-Siksika..Rules were bent, bylaws broken, the rights of members violated — all in favour of Kenney insiders and supporters — often in the presence of UCP board officials who ignored concerns expressed, often not even bothering to answer phone calls or letters from constituency association presidents..It would be interesting to know how many leadership review votes came from these areas. But guaranteed, the majority of those were no votes that came back to bite Kenney from the angry and wounded who once would have followed him anywhere..Parliamentary tradition calls for Kenney to step down in a timely fashion..And so now the search is on for a new UCP leader..Running already are Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean and former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith..Other names are being bandied about — including a name or two from Kenney’s inner circle. They apparently didn’t get the memo Kenney got Wednesday — no more! .If it comes to pass that they are chosen to lead, might as well hand Rachel Notley and her NDP a huge win in the 2023 provincial election..There are a few things the party should ponder as it mulls over who should be the next leader..Whoever is chosen must remember all Albertans are important, not just those who agree with them..And the good of Albertans must supersede ego and power and pettiness..Everybody errs. A strong leader is wise enough to able to admit mistakes, learn from them, and use the lesson to build a better party and province. A wise caucus would recognize and accept that..Who cared enough to publicly stand up for Albertans pleading for jobs and freedoms lost under Kenney’s ruthless COVID-19 restrictions?.Who supported the truckers protesting at the Coutts border in February and the Freedom Convoy 2022 truckers that gave a spark of hope to the world weighed down by often senseless, crushing mandates?.The next UCP leader would have to have the courage to walk into a disgruntled crowd and listen and talk — not hide from or insult them. .Who will be strong enough to stand up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is getting bolder with his authoritarian style of governing, and fight hard for Alberta? .Will the chosen leader be tough enough to teach the boys in short pants — staffers who think they can order elected officials and insult regular Albertans — some manners and humility?.The next UCP leader must recognize the sinister forces at work poisoning young minds in the classroom with inappropriate sex-ed classes and Critical Race Theory nonsense and fight for parental rights..Albertans care about this. The large number of mothers who ventured out to Take Back Alberta meetings held across the province over many months strongly attest to that..Above all, the next UCP leader must remind Albertans why they turned their backs on the NDP and all but booted them out in 2019 when they gave Kenney a 63-seat majority..There are some amazing people in the UCP who care about the people who elected them. .It’s time to unite, tap into what all have to offer, get past party politics and infighting, and focus on showing Albertans the UCP can govern properly. .An election looms.
