'The path to office': Kenney champions unity as leadership vote begins

Facing uncertainty from within his party, Premier Jason Kenney is pushing party members to put division behind them and help keep the United Conservative movement in power.

To kick off the mail-in party vote to determine whether or not he would remain UCP leader, the premier gave a speech Saturday to a small in-person audience in Red Deer and virtually to the remainder of the party members.

Kenney recounted how former premier Ralph Klein underwent a leadership review in 2006 after four majority governments eliminated the province's deficit only to be "kicked to the curb."

"That set off a decade of division amongst us," Kenney said. "Cycling through four PC leaders and ending up with two Conservative parties fighting a bitter civil war. Floor crossings, rancor, intrigue.

"All of it told Albertans that we were more concerned about settling internal scores than getting our act together and doing the peoples' business," he said, adding it created a vote split that handed government to "left-wing ideologues."

The leader of the UCP said there were two choices before the party.

"One path is the path of division," Kenney said. "The other is the path to office."

"I truly fear that if we chose the path of division, it will drive a wedge right down the middle of our party from which we might never recover, and there is only one person who wins from that, and her name is Rachel Notley."

Ballots for the leadership review will be sent out over the next few days, with votes needing to be cast by May 11. According to the UCP, there are nearly 59,000 members eligible to vote.

A decision will be announced on May 18. Should Kenney not receive a majority, the party would need to host a contest to select a new leader.

Kenney said he started the United Conservative movement in Alberta after seeing the divisive nature of the NDP-led government.

"That's why I decided to step up with a vision of reuniting our Conservative movement," he said. "I have no interest in us simply being government.

"I am in this, we are in this, to change government because, for me, I have always been a movement Conservative, a conviction Conservative."

'WE GOT SIDESWIPED'

The premier recounted how the party focused on initiating jobs and investment, deregulating the economy, creating spending controls, and bringing "more power to the province" so there would be "more Alberta and less Ottawa."

"And then, you know what happened. We got sideswiped," he said.

Kenney said the COVID-19 pandemic became "incredibly divisive," with the need to introduce extraordinary measures to protect Albertans. His goal was to forge "an Alberta approach," balancing the need for public health restrictions and personal freedom.

The premier recognized that he did not get all the decisions during the pandemic right and asked for forgiveness.

"I truly believe that the worst of that is behind us," he said. "I have not been a perfect leader.

"I've made mistakes," he added. "I know that there have been decisions that our government has made which have frustrated, I think, all Alberta conservatives, myself included.

"But I ask you to look at how we have delivered on our commitments, how we have united this movement, and how we are moving the province forward."  

KENNEY'S APPROACH DIVIDED THE PARTY: JEAN

Brian Jean, Kenney's challenger in the leadership review, said on Saturday that it was the premier's rhetoric and actions that divided the party.

"The premier gave a speech that said the choice is between more of the same or Rachel Notley's NDP," Jean said in a written statement.

"You know someone is losing when they resort to fear," he added.

In his view, the UCP should be about more than just a single person.

"We can renew the United Conservative Party and defeat the NDP next year," Jean said. "We can be the party that listens to Albertans, that focuses on Albertans' priorities, and that brings Albertans along on a positive united vision for the future."