(Calgary) Alberta Premier Jason Kenney steps down as leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) after narrowly winning the vote of confidence in the party’s leadership.
Updated yesterday at 10:45 p.m.
Mr Kenney received 51.4% support, according to voting results released Wednesday evening.
Jason Kenney told his supporters that this was not the result he was hoping for and that, for him, it was insufficient to continue leading the party.
If he had received less than 50% + 1, Mr. Kenney would have had to resign, according to party rules, and a leadership contest would have automatically been triggered.
Normally, the leaders consider that the percentage of support necessary during a mandate to maintain credibility and continue to lead their party is at 75-80% or more.
Mr Kenney had earlier said he would accept a narrow majority because the vote of confidence was rigged by last-minute MPs who only wanted to scuttle his Conservative party.
Although the result of 51% of the votes crossed the constitutional majority threshold, it is clear that this is not enough support to continue to lead. I have informed the party chairman of my intention to resign as leader of the United Conservative Party.
Jason Kenney, Wednesday evening, in front of activists gathered in Calgary, visibly surprised by this announcement
“We must move forward united. We must put the past behind us and a large number of our members have said so”, also affirmed Jason Kenney, while stressing that he had recommended to the authorities of the party to trigger the process for the race for his succession at the time considered appropriate.
Controversial
The timing leading up to that vote of confidence has taken on added significance over the past year as Mr Kenney has been rocked by poor poll results, disappointing fundraising and open dissent from some members of his party. and his caucus.
The event was also marred by controversy, after being delayed for a year to hold an in-person vote on April 9 in Red Deer, Alta. However, when 15,000 members registered – five times more than expected – the party said it could not handle the logistics and opted instead for a postal vote open to all 59 000 members.
Voices were immediately raised to criticize the change, perceived by some as wanting to thus give the advantage to Jason Kenney, who seemed on the way to losing the vote in person of the members of the party.
Elections Alberta is also investigating allegations of wholesale buying of membership cards, and the party is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police over allegations of voter fraud in the leadership contest. party in 2017, won by Jason Kenney.
Openly criticized
Two backbench MPs who openly criticized Mr Kenney last year – Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes – were kicked out of caucus and sat as independents.
Other backbenchers, Jason Stephan, Peter Guthrie and Brian Jean – who helped Jason Kenney found the PCU – openly urged the prime minister to step down for the good of the party.
Alberta’s Conservative leader has tried to play down the dissent by linking it directly to dissatisfaction with the COVID-19 restrictions his government agreed to in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
His opponents in the caucus argued that the dissatisfaction expressed also concerned the policies and management style of Jason Kenney, which they considered condescending, contemptuous and undemocratic.
In the past, former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Ralph Klein resigned after winning 55% support in a 2006 vote of confidence.
Former prime ministers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford also quit due to pressure from within their party.