Premier Jason Kenney’s worried that a stampede of disgruntled Albertans who “perhaps never belonged to a party before” will overrun the April 9 special general meeting to vote on his leadership in Red Deer..He described these unwelcome Albertans as the “angry” type who would “use it as a platform” to vent about his COVID-19 measures. .These would be measures that resulted in pastors jailed, truckers abused and threatened with steep fines, heroes of the pandemic pushed out of their jobs, and children cruelly forced to live behind masks now widely viewed as virtually useless in shielding them from a virus..“There’s obviously a very active campaign by some, including some associated with these protests, to undermine our party,” a somber Kenney recently told reporters..“It’s incumbent on mainstream Alberta conservatives to also show up in large numbers to send a message about the importance of stability and maintaining a big-tent, mainstream coalition.” .Longtime party members will indeed show up in Red Deer in large numbers to express dissatisfaction over a litany of issues with Kenney’s leadership that extend far beyond the COVID-19 medical dictatorship he threw his full weight behind..Alberta is in desperate need of a premier who can stand up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s dictatorial government..Granted, Kenney said he’ll fight the Emergencies Act invoked with support from the Liberals, the NDP, and the Green Party’s Elizabeth May, to crush Canadian freedoms. .Kenney says Alberta will launch a court challenge against an act he described as “unnecessary,” “disproportionate” and one that “violated natural justice.”.However, in less menacing times, many conservatives believe Kenney failed to do protect Alberta from Trudeau’s destructive whims..Odd how Kenney’s concern about the importance of “stability” and maintaining a “coalition” and efforts to “undermine” and worrisome “active campaigns” appear to only apply to a meeting where a vote on his leadership will be held..What about the members of three constituency association (CA) boards that claim they’ve been undermined by active campaigns that got them turfed from their positions and replaced by, surprise, Kenney loyalists — from the presidents on down..Voting at Kenney’s leadership review will be “overseen by CA presidents who have all been invited to be scrutineers,” reads a UCP statement, noting this is standard procedure. .Which CA presidents — those who say they are still legitimate, or those who were knighted — show up to perform that important task from MLA Jordan Walker’s Sherwood Park, MLA Jason Nixon’s Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, and MLA Leela Aheer’s Chestermere-Rocky View, remains to be seen..That’s pending the conclusion of investigations underway into these CA board elections. .Their annual general meetings (AGM) were held, incumbent board members were discarded, new Kenney-friendly boards were elected, the lights were turned off, everybody went home, and that was that. .Well, not so fast. .Busy times for the UCP’s Arbitration Committee .Ousted Sherwood Park CA board members cited “egregious violations” of the UCP party’s bylaws and demanded the results of a virtual February 8 AGM be suspended. .The following day they notified UCP President Cynthia Moore, who was present at the sometimes raucous AGM, that they were taking their concerns to the party’s Arbitration Committee..Moore’s getting a lot of mail..She already had a letter from the ousted board of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre board disputing the results of the last November 9 AGM calling for an investigation by the Arbitration Committee..The Arbitration Committee has also been ordered to investigate the conduct at the January 8 Chestermere-Rocky View AGM. .Kenney announced that he assembled a “small but mighty” team to fight for his leadership..Well, that’s a relief. .Surely, this team is busy concentrating on finding out who was behind the list of alleged disturbing shenanigans at these AGMs where longtime, hardworking volunteers to CA boards were dissed and dumped in a most undemocratic manner..Getting to the bottom of this is vital to strengthening that “big-tent, mainstream coalition” Kenney so deeply cares about — and desperately needs..Surely, Kenney, who expressed concern about people who “never belonged before” will have his “small but mighty” team get right on the allegations that meetings were infiltrated by strangers who were provided ballots to vote, and that eligible voter lists that had mysteriously grown after the required cut-off day were produced by the UCP just in time for the vote..Hopefully, Kenney will have the wisdom to not opt for a virtual special general meeting like Sherwood Park’s CA members suffered through..No roll call was taken, a blind vote was held, people were muted and kicked off Zoom, faces of participants were blacked out, motions to suspend the meeting and numerous other legitimate motions were ignored..At the end of the meeting, a request was made to see the ballots or have them confirmed and scrutineered. Instead, they were denied access and a motion to immediately have the ballots destroyed was passed. .Now why would that be?.And it would be just awful if Kenney had to be in a room of “angry” strangers like those who appeared at the Chestermere-Strathmore AGM. Some formed a prayer circle and called for the “evil to be vanquished,” presumably in reference to the poor, old, volunteer incumbent board. .Certainly, no one would want to “undermine” UCP party members just because they might disagree with the leader..The CAs await the verdicts of the Arbitration Committee..The Western Standard awaits a response to requests for comment from UCP president Moore..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
Premier Jason Kenney’s worried that a stampede of disgruntled Albertans who “perhaps never belonged to a party before” will overrun the April 9 special general meeting to vote on his leadership in Red Deer..He described these unwelcome Albertans as the “angry” type who would “use it as a platform” to vent about his COVID-19 measures. .These would be measures that resulted in pastors jailed, truckers abused and threatened with steep fines, heroes of the pandemic pushed out of their jobs, and children cruelly forced to live behind masks now widely viewed as virtually useless in shielding them from a virus..“There’s obviously a very active campaign by some, including some associated with these protests, to undermine our party,” a somber Kenney recently told reporters..“It’s incumbent on mainstream Alberta conservatives to also show up in large numbers to send a message about the importance of stability and maintaining a big-tent, mainstream coalition.” .Longtime party members will indeed show up in Red Deer in large numbers to express dissatisfaction over a litany of issues with Kenney’s leadership that extend far beyond the COVID-19 medical dictatorship he threw his full weight behind..Alberta is in desperate need of a premier who can stand up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s dictatorial government..Granted, Kenney said he’ll fight the Emergencies Act invoked with support from the Liberals, the NDP, and the Green Party’s Elizabeth May, to crush Canadian freedoms. .Kenney says Alberta will launch a court challenge against an act he described as “unnecessary,” “disproportionate” and one that “violated natural justice.”.However, in less menacing times, many conservatives believe Kenney failed to do protect Alberta from Trudeau’s destructive whims..Odd how Kenney’s concern about the importance of “stability” and maintaining a “coalition” and efforts to “undermine” and worrisome “active campaigns” appear to only apply to a meeting where a vote on his leadership will be held..What about the members of three constituency association (CA) boards that claim they’ve been undermined by active campaigns that got them turfed from their positions and replaced by, surprise, Kenney loyalists — from the presidents on down..Voting at Kenney’s leadership review will be “overseen by CA presidents who have all been invited to be scrutineers,” reads a UCP statement, noting this is standard procedure. .Which CA presidents — those who say they are still legitimate, or those who were knighted — show up to perform that important task from MLA Jordan Walker’s Sherwood Park, MLA Jason Nixon’s Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, and MLA Leela Aheer’s Chestermere-Rocky View, remains to be seen..That’s pending the conclusion of investigations underway into these CA board elections. .Their annual general meetings (AGM) were held, incumbent board members were discarded, new Kenney-friendly boards were elected, the lights were turned off, everybody went home, and that was that. .Well, not so fast. .Busy times for the UCP’s Arbitration Committee .Ousted Sherwood Park CA board members cited “egregious violations” of the UCP party’s bylaws and demanded the results of a virtual February 8 AGM be suspended. .The following day they notified UCP President Cynthia Moore, who was present at the sometimes raucous AGM, that they were taking their concerns to the party’s Arbitration Committee..Moore’s getting a lot of mail..She already had a letter from the ousted board of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre board disputing the results of the last November 9 AGM calling for an investigation by the Arbitration Committee..The Arbitration Committee has also been ordered to investigate the conduct at the January 8 Chestermere-Rocky View AGM. .Kenney announced that he assembled a “small but mighty” team to fight for his leadership..Well, that’s a relief. .Surely, this team is busy concentrating on finding out who was behind the list of alleged disturbing shenanigans at these AGMs where longtime, hardworking volunteers to CA boards were dissed and dumped in a most undemocratic manner..Getting to the bottom of this is vital to strengthening that “big-tent, mainstream coalition” Kenney so deeply cares about — and desperately needs..Surely, Kenney, who expressed concern about people who “never belonged before” will have his “small but mighty” team get right on the allegations that meetings were infiltrated by strangers who were provided ballots to vote, and that eligible voter lists that had mysteriously grown after the required cut-off day were produced by the UCP just in time for the vote..Hopefully, Kenney will have the wisdom to not opt for a virtual special general meeting like Sherwood Park’s CA members suffered through..No roll call was taken, a blind vote was held, people were muted and kicked off Zoom, faces of participants were blacked out, motions to suspend the meeting and numerous other legitimate motions were ignored..At the end of the meeting, a request was made to see the ballots or have them confirmed and scrutineered. Instead, they were denied access and a motion to immediately have the ballots destroyed was passed. .Now why would that be?.And it would be just awful if Kenney had to be in a room of “angry” strangers like those who appeared at the Chestermere-Strathmore AGM. Some formed a prayer circle and called for the “evil to be vanquished,” presumably in reference to the poor, old, volunteer incumbent board. .Certainly, no one would want to “undermine” UCP party members just because they might disagree with the leader..The CAs await the verdicts of the Arbitration Committee..The Western Standard awaits a response to requests for comment from UCP president Moore..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
