After Jason Kenny retired as leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta, who is now the leader of the province?
Technically, Kenny remains Alberta’s prime minister.
But in the event that a leader loses a leadership review or leaves a vacancy for some other reason – as Kenny did, resigning to the surprise of many on Wednesday – the party’s rules call for leadership elections.
“In the coming days and weeks, we will determine the process for reviewing leadership, the conditions that will have to be met, and the requirements for those who want to run for leadership – deposits, deadlines and so on,” said Calgary political scientist Laurie Williams.
However, while this is being organized, the group must vote for the party’s interim leader and prime minister “as soon as possible”, according to the party’s leadership.
Both the cabinet and the UCP group are due to meet in Calgary on Thursday. More details are expected to follow from the meetings.
There is a remarkable warning when choosing an interim leader: Whoever is elected will not be able to present their name as UCP leader.
THE OPPORTUNITIES
The first name that came to Williams’ mind as interim leader was Rick McIver, who was once the interim leader of the PC party.
“He has experience in government, so I would suspect someone who is well known. “Because God knows that Alberta has a lot of challenges ahead of it right now, so it will have to be someone who already has the party’s trust and can move this ship forward,” she said.
The UCP Management Manual does not specify deadlines for selecting an interim leader or leadership competition to be convened.
The next election in Alberta is legal for May 29, 2023.
“It could be an advantage or a disadvantage,” Williams said. “It could be so, if [a leadership contest] is closer to the election, it may be easier for them to keep dissidents clear, those who disagree. “
And reuniting the party’s fragmented membership will be the biggest job any interim or elected leader faces, she said, as will the UCP’s president of the Olds-Diddlesbury-Three Hills Electoral Association.
“I hope when this meeting happens [Thursday]that people who were dissidents are no longer considered dissidents. Because they were not problems for the party and they were not problems for the Caucasus. “They opposed – I think quite legally and I think tonight – as really legitimate – against Prime Minister Kenny,” Rob Smith told CTV News on Wednesday after Kenny’s resignation.
He suggested MLA’s Todd Lowen and Drew Barnes, both of whom were expelled from the UCP group after criticizing Kenny as leader, should be welcomed back.
Whoever is elected leader, Smith added: “I hope that someone who has strong roots in the party can really represent the group. I don’t think that means they were necessarily Kenny’s supporters or that they were necessarily someone who was against Jason Kenny. “
Under pressure from potential future leaders, Smith called Treasury Secretary Travis Tows a “very, very exciting man” and a “very sharp man.” He said Doug Schweizer was doing “quite exciting” things as Minister of Employment and Economy and had the potential to “cross some different categories in terms of demographics.” Smith has heard that some people also think that Energy and Environment Secretary Sonia Savage has “some very strong skills.”
“And if there’s someone brand new, hey, it would also be very exciting to be behind.”
Daniel Smith and Brian Jean have already announced their intention to be the next UCP leader.
Williams expects more names to come from the party’s inner circles and possibly from outside the provincial borders if Rona Ambrose wants to rejoin the political arena.
“We can see division in the whole leadership process, we can see division after a leader is elected who is not satisfactory to some of the members and voters. This is a very uncertain time.
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