Jason Kenny’s main enemy in the group fought with the Prime Minister of Alberta in Parliament on Thursday and received a verbal slap in return from a cabinet minister.
Brian Jean, recently elected a member of the United Conservative Party in the legislature, used his first questions in the House to suggest that Kenny was failing to fight for a fair deal for the Confederate province.
“What will it take to get the Alberta government to address the needs and concerns of Alberta and begin the process of fixing Canada?” Jean Kenny asked during the question.
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Kenny was not in the house at the time, so Justice Minister Tyler Shandro was in charge instead.
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Shandro said Kenny and his government have fought with the federal government on behalf of Alberta over a number of files, including firearms legislation, equalization, carbon pricing and environmental changes for major energy companies.
“This government does not apologize for advocating for the people of Alberta,” said Shandro, after making a not-so-fine assessment of Jean, apparently ignoring him as one of the co-founders of the UCP.
“Thanks to the member and welcome to return to the house.
“And I also thank the prime minister for being the only politician in Alberta with the vision to unite two political families to defeat the NDP to form a conservative government that received more votes than any other party in the history of this province.”
Shandro’s comments provoked laughter, shouts and shouts from both sides of the aisle.
1:46 Brian Jean was sworn in by the Alberta Legislature Previous video Next video
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It was the second time Jean had made her voice heard in the hall after she was sworn in on April 7 as a new member of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche after a by-election in which he campaigned against Kenny’s leadership.
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On Monday, Jean made a statement to his first member. He used it to warn Kenny’s government and offer more respect to members of the ruling assembly.
“We need to improve how we do things here, how we write laws, how we run and how we show the people of Albert that we care about the things that matter to them,” Jean told the house.
“The most important role is that of the government group. The job of the government group is to know the people of Albert best.
His speech was greeted with icy silence on both sides.
Kenny faces a decisive vote on whether he remains party leader and prime minister.
His leadership is openly opposed by Jean and some other backbenchers, who to varying degrees accuse Kenny of leading a top-down government administration, despite promises to listen and work with mass members.
Almost 60,000 party members now vote by mail. Kenny needs 50 percent plus one in the review or will have to retire and a leadership race will be called.
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Critics of Kenny say he needs much more than a small majority for an effective mandate.
The vote must take place by Wednesday. The results will be announced on May 18.
Speaking to the media in Calgary on Thursday after an unrelated message, Kenny reiterated that a simple majority is good enough.
“In a democracy, the majority is 50 percent plus one. I don’t think that’s even controversial. This is just a statement of fact, “he said.
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Kenny’s Progressive Conservatives and Jean Wildrose’s Party joined in 2017 to form the United Conservatives.
Jean then lost to Kenny in a leadership race filled with allegations of corruption that are still being investigated by the RCMP.
READ MORE: Brian Jean withdraws arbitration before reviewing Kenny’s leadership
Jean left politics in 2018, but returned this year. He has repeatedly said that the UCP is doomed to fail under Kenny.
He was given a seat in the back row of the hall, furthest from Kenny and furthest from the door used by UCP members.
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