It’s been a long time coming..The discontent with the leadership of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney that’s been simmering for some time, finally boiled over last night as UCP MLA Todd Loewen published an open letter demanding the premier step down..“The government’s response to a hostile federal government has been perceived as weak and ineffective,” wrote Loewen. “Albertans have lost trust in the leadership of our government and are no longer willing to extend to us any benefit of the doubt on most issues.”.Those are not the words of a backbencher happy to stay quiet..“The caucus dysfunction that we are presently experiencing is a direct result of your leadership. The people of Alberta have lost trust in this government because you have not brought needed balance and reason to the discussion. Albertans and our UCP party members deserve better,” he wrote..The coup de grâce came with a simple demand to punctuate the end of the letter..“I thank you for your service, but I am asking that you resign so that we can begin to put the province back together again.”.Giving the letter some force, Loewen resigned as chairman of the UCP Caucus..Loewen is not the type to take a politically risky public stand against his own leader. I got to know him well during our time serving in the Wildrose Caucus together. He’s a mostly quiet, reserved man, known more for making his colleagues pancakes than for grand feats of rhetoric. His decision to break ranks with Kenney so forcefully is clearly not a decision he took lightly..That the first shot of this calibre was fired from Loewen is a surprise, but that it was fired at all, is not..Kenney had ample opportunity to see discontent with his leadership growing, and has consciously decided to do nothing about it..The writing began to appear on the wall nearly a year ago when UCP MLA Drew Barnes wrote a dissenting opinion on the Fair Deal Panel, saying it didn’t go far enough and should include the credible threat of an independence referendum..Kenney largely dismissed it as a disagreement representing a small fringe..Discontent on Kenney’s right flank exploded when he refused to condemn or discipline his senior staff and nine snowbird MLAs for vacationing in sunny destinations while putting Alberta under a second lockdown and banning Christmas gatherings..As the government lost its moral authority to impose continued lockdowns, small businesses lead by the Whistle Stop Cafe began “illegal” reopening without the government’s permission. In response, Kenney promised a clear reopening plan with measurable benchmarks. Most accepted this and complied with the government’s orders..Even though Alberta met the goal line for phased reopening, Kenney unilaterally moved the goalposts. The reopening was delayed, again. This prompted a total of 18 MLAs in his caucus to sign an open letter to the premier condemning the move as damaging trust in the government and causing needless harm. Kenney dismissed it, and it became old news..Christian pastors were jailed, churches were raided, and businesses seized..Then came the rogue rodeo in Bowden, a small town in central Alberta. Held in open defiance of the third lockdown, Kenney called it “disturbing,” and the people attending it “selfish.” That’s what he said in public at least..In private, the Western Standard learned he told his caucus, “If they are our base, I want a new base.”.“The base” was understandably outraged, but Kenney dismissed it all as “fake news.” He gave a story to explain it away as only talking about people making death threats against him, but UCP MLAs in that caucus meeting told our news team that was “a lie.”.The UCP is getting crushed in the polls, trailing the NDP badly and with a reborn Wildrose beginning to push on its right flank..The party had by far the worst quarter in fundraising in its history, getting lapped by the NDP..This would all be enough of a repeated warning sign that something’s wrong for even a moderately capable political leader to recognize. It defies belief Kenney – a legendary political operator – has not recognized it..It comes as no surprise one of his MLAs finally called for his resignation publicly. It does come as a surprise it was Loewen..And Loewen was joined soon after by David Hanson..As of this writing, the UCP Caucus is holding an emergency meeting. MLAs inside the caucus tell the Western Standard – while the meeting is ongoing – that the meeting is to discuss leaks. With MLAs like Loewen opening speaking out now, leaks may be the least of Kenney’s problems..Then, discussion turned toward expelling Barnes and Loewen. We will know the results soon enough. Leaders almost always get their way in these kinds of internal disputes. A failure to secure enough votes however, would be an omen that the end is nigh for Kenney..Kenney has no good options left..He can try to win the rebel MLAs, members, and voters back by radically shifting course, but he doesn’t appear to believe he’s doing anything wrong..He can try to purge the dissenters, but that carries with it the very real risk of adding fuel and credibility to the upstart Wildrose 3.0..Or he can try to ignore the entire thing and sweep it under the rug. That doesn’t appear to be much of an option when two of his MLAs have publicly challenged Kenney to a political fight to the death..Kenney has a problem with the base, and the base has a problem with him..He won them over in 2017 by buying a big blue truck and doing the part of a cosplay roughneck conservative, but the jig is up..“The base” he resents now wants a new premier..Derek Fildebrandt is the Publisher of the Western Standard
