ENDLESS NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES
Jason Kenney has asked UCP for leadership review at party’s Spring convention
The issue of Kenney’s leadership came up at a meeting of the UCP caucus on Wednesday, but members did not proceed with a no confidence vote
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney faces down restive UCP caucus over COVID-19 crisisThe issue of Kenney’s leadership came up at a meeting of the UCP caucus on Wednesday, but members did not proceed with a no confidence vote
Author of the article:
Kenney, asked on Tuesday night about his leadership, said he was focused on the pandemic response and not what he suggested was a “political sideshow.”
“I’ve invited a review, there’s a review that will take place, but … right now, 100 per cent of my attention and that of my team and the whole government, has to be focused on a life and death crisis that we are facing,” Kenney said
— Additional reporting by the Edmonton Journal
Jason Kenney's Job Is in Danger. So He's Firing People
The Alberta premier replaced his minister of health amid calls for Kenney, himself, to resign. It's all happening as the province sinks deeper into the fourth COVID wave.
By Anya Zoledziowski
TORONTO, CA
22.9.21
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is ignoring calls to step down following a federal election outcome that’s especially devastating for his United Conservative Party, all while the province suffers from a preventable fourth wave of COVID-19 driven by the Delta variant.
On Monday, Canadians reelected Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead a minority government—again—after Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole failed to secure more support for his party. For weeks leading up to voting day, many pundits speculated that Kenney’s COVID-19 track record would result in fewer votes for the federal Conservatives, and O’Toole even tried to distance himself from Kenney during his campaign’s final days.
Alberta, typically a slam dunk for Conservatives, remains blue, but the federal Conservatives lost more than 14 percent of voters who voted for them during the last election in 2019. Across the province, at least three previous Conservative seats were forfeited to the Liberals and the left-leaning NDP, and there’s still a battle in Edmonton-Centre, where the Liberal and incumbent Conservative candidates are neck and neck. The far-right People’s Party of Canada also enjoyed a boost from Albertans after successfully courting the anti-lockdown and anti-vax crowd. (Alberta has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Canada.)
Kenney decided to keep his job and instead replaced his government’s Minister of Health on Tuesday. The post, previously held by Tyler Shandro, a man known for evading questions from reporters and berating a physician at his family home, will now be held by Jason Copping, the former minister of labour and immigration.
“It is time for a fresh start, and a new set of eyes on the largest department in the government, especially at a time such as this,” Kenney told reporters.
It’s unclear, however, whether the move will improve Kenney’s tenure as party leader. Two UCP MLAs told the Globe and Mail that Kenney may face a vote of confidence on Wednesday. UCP constituency groups are also thinking about pushing for an early UCP leadership review.
To understand why, turn to Alberta's frightening COVID-19 backdrop: As of Tuesday there were nearly 21,000 active cases in Alberta—nearly half of all total cases in Canada—and 2,574 deaths. (Since vaccines become more accessible, most deaths are among the unvaccinated.) The situation is so bad hundreds of surgeries, including cancer-related surgeries, have been cancelled, and Alberta’s ICUs have a record-breaking number of patients. Ontario has said it will step in and take some of Alberta’s ICU patients, if needed.
The fourth wave could have been mitigated with a more proactive approach to the pandemic and vaccines. But Kenney had declared the pandemic over at the start of the summer and announced the end to all COVID-related restrictions. Mask and physical distancing mandates were gone, and Kenney repeatedly promised the “best summer ever.” He also promised to not implement vaccine passports, something the anti-vax and anti-lockdown chunk of his base eschews.
Unsurprisingly, in the face of Alberta’s health care system collapsing, Kenney has had to walk back those promises and bring back masks and other strict public health measures. As of Monday, Albertans need to show proof of vaccination to frequent many businesses. It’s a decision that likely harmed O’Toole, who had previously praised Alberta’s pandemic response.
“Kenney’s communications has been disastrous. His planning in the pandemic is without a clear vision or flexibility. Time and again he appears unwilling to plan for more than one possibility with the virus… Instead he has chosen to paint himself into a corner on several occasions where the only way out is to make a liar out of himself,” Mullan wrote.
Oops. Canadian Province That Acted Like COVID Was Over Just Realized It Isn’t
ANYA ZOLEDZIOWSKI 13.8.21
Kenney is a career politician who was serving as a high-profile federal MP until 2016, when he decided to return to Alberta and unite the province’s fragmented Conservative parties. Today, internal division within his party is as strong as ever, with some representatives mad over Kenney’s reluctance to do whatever it takes to combat COVID-19, while others are angry he ultimately implemented vaccine passports and other COVID rules after saying he wouldn’t.
University of Calgary political science professor Lisa Young told CBC News she doesn’t see things getting better for Kenney.
"I think the damage is too great… I think that his personal brand is ruined. The current situation is really quite disastrous and it's going to get worse before it gets better," Young said.
Follow Anya Zoledziowski on Twitter.
Tyler Dawson
Publishing date:Sep 22, 2021 •
Publishing date:Sep 22, 2021 •
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney during a news conference regarding the surging COVID cases in the province on Sept. 15. PHOTO BY AL CHAREST / POSTMEDIA
Article content
EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has requested that a review of his leadership take place at the party’s Spring convention, according to an email viewed by the National Post.
“I have spoken with the Premier who specifically asked that we make this change so that we could deal with any leadership issues well in advance of the next election,” says the letter, sent from Ryan Becker, president of the UCP, to the party’s constituency association presidents. “We are all aware that recent government decisions on responding to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused anger and frustration among some party members and there is a growing desire to hold a leadership review.”
The news comes on the heels of a meeting of the United Conservative caucus, held Wednesday in Calgary, where the issue of Kenney’s leadership came up, but members did not proceed with a no confidence vote against the premier.
Kenney has faced increasing pressure within his party in recent weeks as case counts climbed; 20,000 Albertans currently have COVID, with more than 1,000 in hospital and 230 in intensive care.
Some critics in the party believe that the public health measures have gone on too long, while others have spoken out saying the government was too slow to act on the fourth wave.
There has been much speculation in political circles recently about whether or not caucus would have attempted to force Kenney out on Wednesday. Several prior Alberta premiers, including Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford, were hounded by caucus infighting.
Outside of the caucus, party grassroots have also been agitating, calling for a review of Kenney’s leadership, including the party’s Vice President of policy, Joel Mullan, in a piece in the Western Standard magazine.
“Until last week, I was one of Jason Kenney’s most vocal supporters. I campaigned for him in both leadership races and the Wildrose-PC unity vote. In light of the choices he has made last week I can no longer support him, and indeed believe he must resign,” he wrote, referring to the premier’s implementation of COVID-19 measures and a vaccine passport.
Speaking to the Edmonton Journal, Mullan said “I do admire Jason Kenney – I think he’s brilliant. I just don’t think this is the job for him anymore.”
That review of Kenney’s leadership, according to the Wednesday letter, will happen at the party’s 2022 annual general meeting.
Becker’s letter says “the best way for members to be heard at this time and for our party to uphold our member-driven, grassroots tradition is for the 2022 AGM and leadership review to take place in the Spring.”
“Our board will work to secure the necessary date and venue to make this a reality.”
Article content
EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has requested that a review of his leadership take place at the party’s Spring convention, according to an email viewed by the National Post.
“I have spoken with the Premier who specifically asked that we make this change so that we could deal with any leadership issues well in advance of the next election,” says the letter, sent from Ryan Becker, president of the UCP, to the party’s constituency association presidents. “We are all aware that recent government decisions on responding to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused anger and frustration among some party members and there is a growing desire to hold a leadership review.”
The news comes on the heels of a meeting of the United Conservative caucus, held Wednesday in Calgary, where the issue of Kenney’s leadership came up, but members did not proceed with a no confidence vote against the premier.
Kenney has faced increasing pressure within his party in recent weeks as case counts climbed; 20,000 Albertans currently have COVID, with more than 1,000 in hospital and 230 in intensive care.
Some critics in the party believe that the public health measures have gone on too long, while others have spoken out saying the government was too slow to act on the fourth wave.
There has been much speculation in political circles recently about whether or not caucus would have attempted to force Kenney out on Wednesday. Several prior Alberta premiers, including Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford, were hounded by caucus infighting.
Outside of the caucus, party grassroots have also been agitating, calling for a review of Kenney’s leadership, including the party’s Vice President of policy, Joel Mullan, in a piece in the Western Standard magazine.
“Until last week, I was one of Jason Kenney’s most vocal supporters. I campaigned for him in both leadership races and the Wildrose-PC unity vote. In light of the choices he has made last week I can no longer support him, and indeed believe he must resign,” he wrote, referring to the premier’s implementation of COVID-19 measures and a vaccine passport.
Speaking to the Edmonton Journal, Mullan said “I do admire Jason Kenney – I think he’s brilliant. I just don’t think this is the job for him anymore.”
That review of Kenney’s leadership, according to the Wednesday letter, will happen at the party’s 2022 annual general meeting.
Becker’s letter says “the best way for members to be heard at this time and for our party to uphold our member-driven, grassroots tradition is for the 2022 AGM and leadership review to take place in the Spring.”
“Our board will work to secure the necessary date and venue to make this a reality.”
Kenney, asked on Tuesday night about his leadership, said he was focused on the pandemic response and not what he suggested was a “political sideshow.”
“I’ve invited a review, there’s a review that will take place, but … right now, 100 per cent of my attention and that of my team and the whole government, has to be focused on a life and death crisis that we are facing,” Kenney said
— Additional reporting by the Edmonton Journal
Jason Kenney's Job Is in Danger. So He's Firing People
The Alberta premier replaced his minister of health amid calls for Kenney, himself, to resign. It's all happening as the province sinks deeper into the fourth COVID wave.
By Anya Zoledziowski
TORONTO, CA
22.9.21
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is ignoring calls to step down following a federal election outcome that’s especially devastating for his United Conservative Party, all while the province suffers from a preventable fourth wave of COVID-19 driven by the Delta variant.
On Monday, Canadians reelected Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead a minority government—again—after Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole failed to secure more support for his party. For weeks leading up to voting day, many pundits speculated that Kenney’s COVID-19 track record would result in fewer votes for the federal Conservatives, and O’Toole even tried to distance himself from Kenney during his campaign’s final days.
ANYA ZOLEDZIOWSKI 16.9.21
In the end, the federal conservatives did lose votes in Alberta, and now, calls for Kenney’s resignation are growing.
“I can no longer support him, and indeed believe he must resign,” Joel Mullan, a United Conservative Party vice-president and former Kenney fan, wrote in an op-ed.
In the end, the federal conservatives did lose votes in Alberta, and now, calls for Kenney’s resignation are growing.
“I can no longer support him, and indeed believe he must resign,” Joel Mullan, a United Conservative Party vice-president and former Kenney fan, wrote in an op-ed.
Alberta, typically a slam dunk for Conservatives, remains blue, but the federal Conservatives lost more than 14 percent of voters who voted for them during the last election in 2019. Across the province, at least three previous Conservative seats were forfeited to the Liberals and the left-leaning NDP, and there’s still a battle in Edmonton-Centre, where the Liberal and incumbent Conservative candidates are neck and neck. The far-right People’s Party of Canada also enjoyed a boost from Albertans after successfully courting the anti-lockdown and anti-vax crowd. (Alberta has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Canada.)
Kenney decided to keep his job and instead replaced his government’s Minister of Health on Tuesday. The post, previously held by Tyler Shandro, a man known for evading questions from reporters and berating a physician at his family home, will now be held by Jason Copping, the former minister of labour and immigration.
“It is time for a fresh start, and a new set of eyes on the largest department in the government, especially at a time such as this,” Kenney told reporters.
It’s unclear, however, whether the move will improve Kenney’s tenure as party leader. Two UCP MLAs told the Globe and Mail that Kenney may face a vote of confidence on Wednesday. UCP constituency groups are also thinking about pushing for an early UCP leadership review.
To understand why, turn to Alberta's frightening COVID-19 backdrop: As of Tuesday there were nearly 21,000 active cases in Alberta—nearly half of all total cases in Canada—and 2,574 deaths. (Since vaccines become more accessible, most deaths are among the unvaccinated.) The situation is so bad hundreds of surgeries, including cancer-related surgeries, have been cancelled, and Alberta’s ICUs have a record-breaking number of patients. Ontario has said it will step in and take some of Alberta’s ICU patients, if needed.
The fourth wave could have been mitigated with a more proactive approach to the pandemic and vaccines. But Kenney had declared the pandemic over at the start of the summer and announced the end to all COVID-related restrictions. Mask and physical distancing mandates were gone, and Kenney repeatedly promised the “best summer ever.” He also promised to not implement vaccine passports, something the anti-vax and anti-lockdown chunk of his base eschews.
Unsurprisingly, in the face of Alberta’s health care system collapsing, Kenney has had to walk back those promises and bring back masks and other strict public health measures. As of Monday, Albertans need to show proof of vaccination to frequent many businesses. It’s a decision that likely harmed O’Toole, who had previously praised Alberta’s pandemic response.
“Kenney’s communications has been disastrous. His planning in the pandemic is without a clear vision or flexibility. Time and again he appears unwilling to plan for more than one possibility with the virus… Instead he has chosen to paint himself into a corner on several occasions where the only way out is to make a liar out of himself,” Mullan wrote.
Oops. Canadian Province That Acted Like COVID Was Over Just Realized It Isn’t
ANYA ZOLEDZIOWSKI 13.8.21
Kenney is a career politician who was serving as a high-profile federal MP until 2016, when he decided to return to Alberta and unite the province’s fragmented Conservative parties. Today, internal division within his party is as strong as ever, with some representatives mad over Kenney’s reluctance to do whatever it takes to combat COVID-19, while others are angry he ultimately implemented vaccine passports and other COVID rules after saying he wouldn’t.
University of Calgary political science professor Lisa Young told CBC News she doesn’t see things getting better for Kenney.
"I think the damage is too great… I think that his personal brand is ruined. The current situation is really quite disastrous and it's going to get worse before it gets better," Young said.
Follow Anya Zoledziowski on Twitter.
By Alanna Smith The Canadian Press
Posted September 22, 2021
WATCH ABOVE: As COVID-19 rages through Alberta, intensive care units there are filling up with patients like never before, fuelling more calls for Premier Jason Kenney to step down over how he handled the crisis. As Heather Yourex-West explains, there are concerns a political shakeup would only make things worse.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney faced down a restive and divided United Conservative Party caucus Wednesday, focusing on COVID-19 while managing to avoid a straw vote on his leadership.
UCP backbencher Searle Turton said it was a wide-ranging caucus meeting, but there was no vote of confidence on Kenney’s leadership.
He said the focus of the debate was the pandemic.
“There was discussion about the party, about unity, about how we got here, about COVID.
“Caucus is a robust place to do discussion in a confidential setting,” said Turton, who represents Spruce Grove-Stony Plain.
“There were no votes by caucus. There was lots of robust discussion about the pandemic.”
A look at the political challenges facing Premier Jason Kenney
READ MORE: Alberta health-care workers desperate for COVID-19 help: ‘We are treading water as furiously as we can’
Kenney has been challenged by some of his legislature members for decisions on COVID, which has escalated into a crisis that has overwhelmed the provincial health system and forced Alberta to seek outside help.
Some of Kenney’s caucus members have criticized his health measures as being too little too late, while others say he has gone too far and violated individual rights by imposing a form of voluntary vaccine passports.
3:56 Political scientist says Kenney played ‘politics with Alberta’s COVID response’Political scientist says Kenney played ‘politics with Alberta’s COVID response’
Joel Mullan, the party’s vice-president of policy, has already called for Kenney to resign and says enough constituency associations have signed on to force an early party review and vote on Kenney’s leadership.
Kenney isn’t slated to face a mandatory leadership review until late next year.
But Mullan has said 30 constituency associations have promised to pass resolutions to call for an earlier review. If that happens, Kenney could face a vote by the membership in about three months and would lose the top job unless he wins at least a simple majority.
Joel Mullan, the party’s vice-president of policy, has already called for Kenney to resign and says enough constituency associations have signed on to force an early party review and vote on Kenney’s leadership.
Kenney isn’t slated to face a mandatory leadership review until late next year.
But Mullan has said 30 constituency associations have promised to pass resolutions to call for an earlier review. If that happens, Kenney could face a vote by the membership in about three months and would lose the top job unless he wins at least a simple majority.
1:34 Premier Jason Kenney shuffles cabinet as calls for his resignation grow louderPremier Jason Kenney shuffles cabinet as calls for his resignation grow louder
Kenney has dismissed accusations of party infighting and calls to resign, saying Tuesday he’s focused on the COVID crisis.
Alberta has more than 20,000 active cases of COVID-19 and its critical care facilities have already been pushed well past normal capacity.
There were 1,040 people in hospital Wednesday with the illness, including 230 in intensive care. There were 20 more deaths reported, for a total of 2,594. The province also announced its first COVID-19 death of a person under 20.
Kenney’s government is looking to other provinces for critical care staff, particularly intensive care nurses and respiratory therapists. It is also working with the federal government to potentially have the military airlift some patients to other provinces.
Other medical procedures have virtually ground to a halt, with non-urgent surgeries cancelled to free up staff for COVID care. Doctors are being briefed on the criteria to use if resources run short and they must decide which critically ill patients get help and which do not.
The province has pinned its hopes on getting vaccination numbers up. Those numbers have improved since last Wednesday, when Kenney introduced a vaccine passport for non-essential businesses.
More than 81 per cent of eligible Albertans, those over age 12, are now fully vaccinated and almost 73 per cent of those eligible have had at least one shot.
Businesses that stick to the new passport can operate with almost no restrictions but must make sure patrons are double vaccinated.
Kenney’s government has been criticized for leaving that decision up to businesses because it causes confusion and forces compliant businesses to face the wrath of anti-vaccination customers.
Other provinces have made it mandatory.
Kenney has dismissed accusations of party infighting and calls to resign, saying Tuesday he’s focused on the COVID crisis.
Alberta has more than 20,000 active cases of COVID-19 and its critical care facilities have already been pushed well past normal capacity.
There were 1,040 people in hospital Wednesday with the illness, including 230 in intensive care. There were 20 more deaths reported, for a total of 2,594. The province also announced its first COVID-19 death of a person under 20.
Kenney’s government is looking to other provinces for critical care staff, particularly intensive care nurses and respiratory therapists. It is also working with the federal government to potentially have the military airlift some patients to other provinces.
Other medical procedures have virtually ground to a halt, with non-urgent surgeries cancelled to free up staff for COVID care. Doctors are being briefed on the criteria to use if resources run short and they must decide which critically ill patients get help and which do not.
The province has pinned its hopes on getting vaccination numbers up. Those numbers have improved since last Wednesday, when Kenney introduced a vaccine passport for non-essential businesses.
More than 81 per cent of eligible Albertans, those over age 12, are now fully vaccinated and almost 73 per cent of those eligible have had at least one shot.
Businesses that stick to the new passport can operate with almost no restrictions but must make sure patrons are double vaccinated.
Kenney’s government has been criticized for leaving that decision up to businesses because it causes confusion and forces compliant businesses to face the wrath of anti-vaccination customers.
Other provinces have made it mandatory.
3:23 Calgary city council makes Alberta vaccine passport program mandatory at eligible businesses
Calgary city council took matters into its own hands Wednesday, voting to make the passport — known in Alberta as a “restrictions exemption” — binding on non-essential businesses, with fines for violators. That new rule begins Thursday.
Elsewhere in Alberta, the passport is voluntary but non-essential businesses that do not comply face other restrictions, such as maximum one-third customer occupancy or, in the case of restaurants, outdoor seating only.
Also Wednesday, Alberta’s Opposition NDP called for the reinstatement of contact tracing in schools and an early warning system for potential school closures.
NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman says action is needed immediately given that there are nearly 5,000 active cases among students, staff and families.
— With files from Dean Bennett in Edmonton
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Calgary city council took matters into its own hands Wednesday, voting to make the passport — known in Alberta as a “restrictions exemption” — binding on non-essential businesses, with fines for violators. That new rule begins Thursday.
Elsewhere in Alberta, the passport is voluntary but non-essential businesses that do not comply face other restrictions, such as maximum one-third customer occupancy or, in the case of restaurants, outdoor seating only.
Also Wednesday, Alberta’s Opposition NDP called for the reinstatement of contact tracing in schools and an early warning system for potential school closures.
NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman says action is needed immediately given that there are nearly 5,000 active cases among students, staff and families.
— With files from Dean Bennett in Edmonton
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Calgary
Jason Kenney survives caucus meeting with leadership review to come
Alberta premier is facing down caucus revolt as fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic batters province
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney faced down a caucus revolt on Wednesday, as factions within his United Conservative Party coalesced in opposition to his leadership — but a reckoning has been put off to another day.
There had been some expectations of a confidence vote. MLA Searle Turton says there was no such vote at the meeting.
Dave Prisco, UCP director of communications, said Kenney requested that the 2022 UCP AGM take place in the spring and that the scheduled leadership review occur at that time. Prisco said the party is working to confirm a date and venue.
Ryan Becker, UCP president, said in a letter to the party's constituency association presidents that he spoke with Kenney and the premier asked for the change to deal with any leadership issues well in advance of the next election.
"We are all aware that recent government decisions on responding to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused anger and frustration among some party members and there is a growing desire to hold a leadership review," Becker wrote.
CBC News understands from sources with knowledge of the meeting that government MLAs introduced a motion challenging Kenney's leadership at some point in the meeting, but later withdrew it.
Turton said the focus of the discussion was on the government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
"I mean, obviously it's a brute and bashing group of MLAs, but that's what caucus is for, having those frank conversations, and I'm thankful that we had that ability," he said.
"Most of caucus spoke up and, like I said, our focus is on the province, COVID-19, making sure that families and communities are protected."
He said caucus is more united than when they entered the room earlier Wednesday.
Calls for resignation
Kenney is facing open threats to his leadership within the UCP, with MLAs and the vice-president of policy, Joel Mullan, openly calling for his resignation.
Some in the caucus are angry that Kenney introduced vaccine passports in an effort to stem the tide of the crushing fourth wave of COVID-19, while others say the government waited too long to take action.
The province has the highest active case counts in the country by a wide margin, with hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs) straining under the pressure.
Alberta Health Services said on Wednesday that the province's ICUs are at 87 per cent of capacity, including added surge beds. Triage of care kicks in at 90 per cent of capacity.
Wednesday's meeting comes the day after Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro resigned and swapped his portfolio with Jason Copping to become the minister of labour and immigration.
Critics said the swap was an attempt by the premier to deflect criticism as threats mounted against him.
Constituencies consider moving up leadership review
Before the caucus meeting Wednesday, some UCP constituency associations were considering passing motions to move up the date, according to media reports.
Speaking on the Calgary Eyeopener Wednesday morning, Mullan said the UCP remained a grassroots party and he hoped any decisions on a leadership review would be left to the constituencies rather than have it handed down from caucus.
Despite the controversies and conflict, Turton said the caucus meeting was productive.
"I think there's always going to be differences of opinion, and when it comes to many of the issues before us, that's what makes for healthy, robust debates."
Corbella: UCP members are already trying to
find a replacement for Premier Kenney
According to government insiders who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, Kenney is beginning to realize
that he cannot hold onto his job as premier
Author of the article: Licia Corbella
Publishing date:Sep 22, 2021 •
Premier Jason Kenney answering questions on the cabinet shuffle appointing Jason Copping as the new Minister of Health during a news conference in Edmonton, September 21, 2021.
PHOTO BY ED KAISER/POSTMEDIA
Already, speculation is swirling about who will replace Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta.
Government MLAs are being approached by party officials to test their appetite to lead a fractious United Conservative Party that is splitting not so much into left or right divisions — red or blue teams — but into maskers and anti-maskers, those in favour of vaccine passports and those who are militant against them. Never has the urban-rural divide been more stark, and many of the rural MLAs who are in favour of vaccines and vaccine passports are not in line with their own constituents regarding their antipathy against vaccine passports.
According to government insiders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Kenney is beginning to realize that he cannot hold onto his job as premier, but wants to hold off making any political moves that leads to an expedited leadership review for fear of who will gain control of the party he worked so hard to form and lead.
Tuesday’s mini cabinet shuffle — basically a job swap — moved Tyler Shandro out of Alberta’s troubled health portfolio into Labour and Immigration. Calgary Varsity MLA, Jason Copping, who was viewed as a competent labour and immigration minister, has been moved into the health portfolio, “because he doesn’t have any leadership hopes going forward. It’s recognized,” said the source, “that whoever moves into the health portfolio in Alberta is really a sacrificial lamb,” said a government source.
Already, speculation is swirling about who will replace Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta.
Government MLAs are being approached by party officials to test their appetite to lead a fractious United Conservative Party that is splitting not so much into left or right divisions — red or blue teams — but into maskers and anti-maskers, those in favour of vaccine passports and those who are militant against them. Never has the urban-rural divide been more stark, and many of the rural MLAs who are in favour of vaccines and vaccine passports are not in line with their own constituents regarding their antipathy against vaccine passports.
According to government insiders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Kenney is beginning to realize that he cannot hold onto his job as premier, but wants to hold off making any political moves that leads to an expedited leadership review for fear of who will gain control of the party he worked so hard to form and lead.
Tuesday’s mini cabinet shuffle — basically a job swap — moved Tyler Shandro out of Alberta’s troubled health portfolio into Labour and Immigration. Calgary Varsity MLA, Jason Copping, who was viewed as a competent labour and immigration minister, has been moved into the health portfolio, “because he doesn’t have any leadership hopes going forward. It’s recognized,” said the source, “that whoever moves into the health portfolio in Alberta is really a sacrificial lamb,” said a government source.
“People with future political ambitions don’t want to touch the health portfolio because they see the divisions in the caucus and the province and how fraught it all is,” said the source. “It’s a minefield.”
Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt says this job swap — that occurred in Edmonton in a low-key ceremony in which Alberta Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani oversaw the new ministers’ oaths of office — will not quell the anger against Kenney, who is viewed as being responsible for the dire situation facing our hospitals. Had the province not increased the number of ICU beds in the province, Kenney said Tuesday our hospitals would be at 169 per cent of capacity. The province is also making contingency arrangements to airlift sick patients out of province in the days and weeks to come.
Another government source said that ironically, a couple of UCP riding officials are in hospital battling for their lives over COVID-19 — a disease that they had denied even existed — though he refused to say who they are.
“If they weren’t in hospital fighting for their lives, they’d be calling on Jason to step down for bringing in vaccine passports,” said the source.
Currently, Alberta’s expanded ICUs are at 87 per cent of capacity and most non-urgent surgeries in the province have been cancelled.
“It’s a cliche, but this is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Bratt of the cabinet shuffle.
“This is a power move by Kenney. It’s clear, he was waiting until after the federal election to make this announcement and it’s not going to save him,” said Bratt.
“I think we’re sitting with a situation where the caucus is so divided and the cabinet is so divided, but the one thing that they all do agree on is that the premier has to go,” said Bratt. “But don’t underestimate the political infighting skills of Jason Kenney.”
Mount Royal University political science professor Duane Bratt says this job swap — that occurred in Edmonton in a low-key ceremony in which Alberta Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani oversaw the new ministers’ oaths of office — will not quell the anger against Kenney, who is viewed as being responsible for the dire situation facing our hospitals. Had the province not increased the number of ICU beds in the province, Kenney said Tuesday our hospitals would be at 169 per cent of capacity. The province is also making contingency arrangements to airlift sick patients out of province in the days and weeks to come.
Another government source said that ironically, a couple of UCP riding officials are in hospital battling for their lives over COVID-19 — a disease that they had denied even existed — though he refused to say who they are.
“If they weren’t in hospital fighting for their lives, they’d be calling on Jason to step down for bringing in vaccine passports,” said the source.
Currently, Alberta’s expanded ICUs are at 87 per cent of capacity and most non-urgent surgeries in the province have been cancelled.
“It’s a cliche, but this is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Bratt of the cabinet shuffle.
“This is a power move by Kenney. It’s clear, he was waiting until after the federal election to make this announcement and it’s not going to save him,” said Bratt.
“I think we’re sitting with a situation where the caucus is so divided and the cabinet is so divided, but the one thing that they all do agree on is that the premier has to go,” said Bratt. “But don’t underestimate the political infighting skills of Jason Kenney.”
Premier Jason Kenney standing in front of Jason Copping, the newly appointed Minister of Health, during a news conference in Edmonton, September 21, 2021.
PHOTO BY ED KAISER/POSTMEDIA
Brian Jean, who along with Kenney, worked to unite the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservative parties to form the UCP, bizarrely asked his Twitter followers in a string of 23 tweets, whether a new political party fashioned after the Saskatchewan Party should be formed.
Various names of possible contenders were bandied about but they couldn’t be reached so their names will not be mentioned here.
Another government source said Kenney is holding his cards close to his vest but did confide that if there was a leadership contest during this fourth wave, it would revolve around whether someone was pro-mask or anti-mask, pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine, and that would destroy the party’s chances going forward in a general election.
“Timing, as they say in politics, is everything,” added yet another source. “(Kenney) is doing everything he can to protect this party to ensure the economic future of this province and to ensure that an anti-vax crazy doesn’t have a mobilized base that sells more memberships than anyone else and takes down the party.”
Brian Jean, who along with Kenney, worked to unite the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservative parties to form the UCP, bizarrely asked his Twitter followers in a string of 23 tweets, whether a new political party fashioned after the Saskatchewan Party should be formed.
Various names of possible contenders were bandied about but they couldn’t be reached so their names will not be mentioned here.
Another government source said Kenney is holding his cards close to his vest but did confide that if there was a leadership contest during this fourth wave, it would revolve around whether someone was pro-mask or anti-mask, pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine, and that would destroy the party’s chances going forward in a general election.
“Timing, as they say in politics, is everything,” added yet another source. “(Kenney) is doing everything he can to protect this party to ensure the economic future of this province and to ensure that an anti-vax crazy doesn’t have a mobilized base that sells more memberships than anyone else and takes down the party.”
The premier says he accepted Shandro’s resignation, mutually recognizing it was time for “a fresh start and new set of eyes” on the largest department in the government.
“When I asked Tyler to serve as health minister in April of 2019, nobody, nobody could have predicted the crisis that he would be tasked with taking on,” Kenney said Tuesday at a 5 p.m. media conference.
Another government insider who asked to remain anonymous says Shandro had had enough of “being public enemy No. 1, where his wife and children are even sometimes accosted because of government decisions.”
Shandro famously tore up the contract for Alberta physicians in February 2020, just one month before Alberta and the rest of the country entered into its first COVID-19 lockdown. It’s acknowledged and recognized that his move came at the behest of Kenney, who was following the recommendations made by the panel led by former Saskatchewan finance minister Janice MacKinnon. Many rural physicians left or considered leaving the province for greener pastures, and bitterness still remains.
Kenney says Shandro offered his resignation and they both came to the same conclusion that the time was right for a change. “It has been a gruelling two-plus years for Tyler. I was there myself and saw he and his family being chased and assaulted by anti-vaccine protesters, and all of that has taken a real toll on Minister Shandro,” said Kenney, referring to the Canada Day event when Shandro, his wife and their young children were accosted by supporters of fringe mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston, who was in jail at the time for uttering threats to health officials.
Another government source, who only spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he has already been approached to consider running for the leadership of the party, something he is going to discuss with his family.
The leadership train is leaving a station that just two years ago looked like it was going to be parked for a very long time.
Licia Corbella is a Postmedia columnist in Calgary.
Braid: Kenney heads off caucus revolt but agrees to leadership review
In the caucus meeting, MLAs were asked what they planned to do if they actually managed to unseat the premier. Nobody had a good answer for that one
In the caucus meeting, MLAs were asked what they planned to do if they actually managed to unseat the premier. Nobody had a good answer for that one
Author of the article: Don Braid • Calgary Herald
Publishing date: Sep 22, 2021 •
The whole health system is in genuine crisis, with 1,040 people hospitalized, 230 in ICUs, hospital wings and wards shut down, surgeries cancelled — even in a children’s hospital — and Kenney’s government begging other provinces and Ottawa for help.
The latest Leger Research poll on premiers’ approval, completed just before the uproar over new Alberta measures, shows Kenney with only 23 per cent support for his handling of the pandemic. Seventy-two per cent are dissatisfied.
The next least popular premier on this issue, Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe, is far ahead of Kenney at 39 per cent.
Surely galling to Kenney is the 75 per cent rating of the NDP premier next door, John Horgan of B.C. In Quebec, Francois Legault is at 76 per cent.
Those premiers have had their own severe COVID-19 crises, but they have usually been consistent. Kenney, eternally plagued by his implacable freedom caucus, has not.
And as a result, his biggest problem is not the fractious caucus. It’s the voters.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald
Publishing date: Sep 22, 2021 •
The party revolt against Premier Jason Kenney fizzled Wednesday, after UCP members of the legislature first presented a motion of non-confidence in his leadership, then dropped it like a hot brick.
The rebel move at the private caucus meeting came from Highwood member R.J. Sigurdson, who had considerable backing, or seemed to.
The response from the pro-Kenney side was a classic bluff.
Let’s vote, they said — right now, on the spot — and the ballot will not be secret.
The resolution was pulled, the revolution postponed. Nobody gets a statue or the premier’s job.
“People tend to forget that Kenney is a tough guy,” says one insider, who was not present at this meeting. “He’s experienced, knows all the angles and he isn’t afraid of a fight.”
And so, Canada’s most beleaguered premier of the COVID-19 era wins this round.
There is an olive branch, though — his agreement to have a party leadership review early next year.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Kenney spoke to party president Ryan Becker, asking for a spring annual general meeting and leadership review. An email went out to all riding presidents immediately.
Kenney’s party executive had earlier ruled that the review would be held in fall, about six months before the next election in spring of 2023. The people who oppose him wanted a vote much earlier.
Kenney’s agreement now seems to spike a motion circulating among the ridings, requiring a review vote no later than March 1, 2022.
In the caucus meeting, MLAs were asked what they planned to do if they actually managed to unseat the premier.
Nobody had a good answer for that one. The UCP bench is decidedly devoid of obvious contenders for the job, although a couple of ministers are quietly forming campaigns.
There’s a far more important question for the vast majority of Albertans who believe in vaccination and reasonable measures to contain the province’s raging wave of COVID-19, by far the worst in Canada.
What happens if Kenney is kicked out and his successor comes from the wing of caucus that is opposed to measures, and even to vaccination?
Some of these people think their premier is crushing their freedoms. A like-minded premier could turn Alberta into Florida overnight.
Kenney, after taking their views into account for far too long (that’s how we got into this mess after the infamous Open for Summer campaign), now places himself squarely on the side of current measures, including a vaccination passport.
He has a reprieve. But his deft handling of the caucus showdown does not get him out of trouble with the public.
The reaction to Kenney’s summer holiday, and the sneering dismissal of the looming fourth wave, is still causing widespread public fury.
The rebel move at the private caucus meeting came from Highwood member R.J. Sigurdson, who had considerable backing, or seemed to.
The response from the pro-Kenney side was a classic bluff.
Let’s vote, they said — right now, on the spot — and the ballot will not be secret.
The resolution was pulled, the revolution postponed. Nobody gets a statue or the premier’s job.
“People tend to forget that Kenney is a tough guy,” says one insider, who was not present at this meeting. “He’s experienced, knows all the angles and he isn’t afraid of a fight.”
And so, Canada’s most beleaguered premier of the COVID-19 era wins this round.
There is an olive branch, though — his agreement to have a party leadership review early next year.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Kenney spoke to party president Ryan Becker, asking for a spring annual general meeting and leadership review. An email went out to all riding presidents immediately.
Kenney’s party executive had earlier ruled that the review would be held in fall, about six months before the next election in spring of 2023. The people who oppose him wanted a vote much earlier.
Kenney’s agreement now seems to spike a motion circulating among the ridings, requiring a review vote no later than March 1, 2022.
In the caucus meeting, MLAs were asked what they planned to do if they actually managed to unseat the premier.
Nobody had a good answer for that one. The UCP bench is decidedly devoid of obvious contenders for the job, although a couple of ministers are quietly forming campaigns.
There’s a far more important question for the vast majority of Albertans who believe in vaccination and reasonable measures to contain the province’s raging wave of COVID-19, by far the worst in Canada.
What happens if Kenney is kicked out and his successor comes from the wing of caucus that is opposed to measures, and even to vaccination?
Some of these people think their premier is crushing their freedoms. A like-minded premier could turn Alberta into Florida overnight.
Kenney, after taking their views into account for far too long (that’s how we got into this mess after the infamous Open for Summer campaign), now places himself squarely on the side of current measures, including a vaccination passport.
He has a reprieve. But his deft handling of the caucus showdown does not get him out of trouble with the public.
The reaction to Kenney’s summer holiday, and the sneering dismissal of the looming fourth wave, is still causing widespread public fury.
The whole health system is in genuine crisis, with 1,040 people hospitalized, 230 in ICUs, hospital wings and wards shut down, surgeries cancelled — even in a children’s hospital — and Kenney’s government begging other provinces and Ottawa for help.
The latest Leger Research poll on premiers’ approval, completed just before the uproar over new Alberta measures, shows Kenney with only 23 per cent support for his handling of the pandemic. Seventy-two per cent are dissatisfied.
The next least popular premier on this issue, Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe, is far ahead of Kenney at 39 per cent.
Surely galling to Kenney is the 75 per cent rating of the NDP premier next door, John Horgan of B.C. In Quebec, Francois Legault is at 76 per cent.
Those premiers have had their own severe COVID-19 crises, but they have usually been consistent. Kenney, eternally plagued by his implacable freedom caucus, has not.
And as a result, his biggest problem is not the fractious caucus. It’s the voters.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald
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