Brian Jean's reemergence a challenge to Kenney's leadership: political analysts
Brian Jean is after much more than an MLA job and a backbench seat in the legislature, a pair of political experts said Thursday.
A former leader of the now-defunct Wildrose Party, Jean announced on Facebook Wednesday night that he will run for the UCP nomination in an upcoming byelection.
Jean called on Premier Jason Kenney to resign in June, alleging the premier had a "poor attitude" and made "a mess of following the COVID rules that he placed on all Albertans."
"Do the right thing and step down for the good of the party we created and the good of Alberta," he wrote on Facebook.
"He’s challenging Jason Kenney’s leadership again, so that looks like what we’ve seen before," political scientist Lori Williams said.
"The reality is there are a lot of people who are not just dissatisfied with his leadership, they are very angry and motivated against Jason Kenney."
Polling has shown Kenney's approval rating as low as 22 per cent, the lowest of any premier in the country, and several of his own MLAs have called on him to resign.
'SETS THE STAGE FOR A LEADERSHIP CONTEST'
Chaldeans Mensah from MacEwan University agreed Jean and Kenney are likely headed for some sort of rematch to the 2017 UCP leadership race, which saw Kenney win a controversial vote.
"I think this sets the stage for a leadership contest for the UCP. Political parties like to win, and they see Mr. Kenney as the leader, not a good winning formula for the party," Mensah said.
Polling has consistently shown the Alberta NDP leading ahead of a 2023 provincial election.
Jean left Kenney out of his Wednesday announcement, instead turning his sights on the NDP.
"Something must be done or Rachel Notley will win the next election with an overwhelming majority. That will be bad for Alberta," he wrote.
Jean declined an interview request from CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
Kenney did not respond publicly to Jean's announcement, but Mensah believes the premier should let Jean run.
"To preserve party unity, he needs to be gracious and allow things to play out," Mensah said.
Williams is confident Jean will not only win a by-election, but would also have a good chance if he were to run against Kenney in a leadership vote.
"I think there’s no question that Brian Jean has the support of a lot of people... Just because of who he is, a lot of people will support Brian Jean. But a lot of people would vote for Brian Jean because they’re dissatisfied with Jason Kenney’s leadership right now," Williams speculated.
A date has not yet been set for the by-election that needs to happen in Fort McMurray- Lac La Biche after MLA Laila Goodridge was elected as a member of parliament.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.