The deadline to sign up for a valid membership to vote in the leadership review for the upcoming UCP Special General Meeting (SGM) is 11:59 p.m. Saturday..The in-person meeting taking place in Red Deer on April 9 will include a comprehensive campaign training workshop for members, according to the UCP website, and a leadership review vote to determine member support of Premier Jason Kenney..Members are only eligible to vote if in attendance at the meeting and mail-in voting will not be permitted, according to UCP by-laws created by the party membership..Results of the vote will determine if a leadership race should be triggered. Kenney has indicated he will stay in the leadership seat if he receives 50% plus 1 of the vote..In contrast, during a leadership review in March 2006, former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein still stepped down after receiving 55% support, well below the 75% he said he felt was needed in order for him to continue..UCP MLA Jason Stephan has been calling for a leadership review of Kenney for months after his many flip-flop decisions throughout the pandemic..“Many constituents are upset. Many are asking for the premier to resign,” said Stephan in September..The UCP leadership review was originally scheduled for the fall of 2022, just six months ahead of the next provincial election, but was moved up to the spring..Although 22 constituency associations asked for a review by March, the UCP board in December decided on the April 9 date..If Kenney doesn’t receive adequate support in the leadership vote, it is unclear whether he will immediately step down or try to stay on until a new leader of the UCP is elected..Kenney has said he only needs 50% plus one to hang on to his job..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
