Like many things UCP, the revolt is peculiar
Author of the article:Don Braid • Calgary Herald
Publishing date:Nov 15, 2021 •
Monday should have been one of Premier Jason Kenney’s best days in office.
But he started with the familiar anvil around his neck — his own United Conservative Party.
The province signed a child-care deal with Ottawa. This is a monumental agreement, the biggest social policy advance of Kenney’s tenure.
It will be popular among families with young kids. And this premier, riding barely above 20 per cent approval, desperately needs a boost.
The anvil dropped an hour before the daycare announcement in Edmonton, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on hand.
Twenty-two of Kenney’s 87 riding associations went public with their demand for an early leadership review vote.
Riding presidents held a rambling Zoom session with reporters. They claimed to honour the party constitution without quite saying most of them want Kenney out on his ear.
This has been rumbling for many months, often at high volume, with elected UCP members calling for Kenney to quit.
The dissidents have now met the standard of 22 ridings officially demanding a special party meeting to vote on leadership.
Not coincidentally, the UCP annual general meeting starts Friday in Calgary. The central party, so far loyal to Kenney, can’t simply ignore the rebel demand.
Like many things UCP, the revolt is peculiar.
In all the long history of party uprisings against conservative premiers (Don Getty, Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford), there’s never been one that reads like a formal Supreme Court challenge.
Kenney looked almost grey when he took to the podium alongside Trudeau, who surely knew what was going on.
It had to be deeply embarrassing for Kenney to stand beside his chief political foe at a moment like that.
Kenney went on the offensive. It didn’t work out well.
The premier said Alberta didn’t sign earlier because it wanted terms like Quebec’s child-care deal, with no strings attached to funding.
Well, said Trudeau, you could have a similar deal if Alberta, like Quebec, already had daycare costing only $8.50 per day.
But Alberta does not, Trudeau said, so there must be standards attached to $3.8 billion in federal money, including an eventual cost of $10 per day.
Kenney argued that it’s not really federal money, just Albertan tax payments coming back home.
Sometimes it’s tough for an Alberta premier to be gracious to Ottawa. The spectacular bottom line is that Ottawa is going to send Alberta that $3.8 billion.
This isn’t really Alberta tax money anyway. It’s borrowed.
These prickly exchanges took some shine off a good-news announcement that could actually win Kenney some popularity.
Ottawa allowed participation of licensed private daycare centres, a large part of Alberta’s capacity. But most new spaces — more than 40,000 over five years — are expected to be not-for-profit.
Kenney presented the support for private care as a win. But the NDP noted that Ottawa has never ruled out the participation of for-profit centres, as long as they’re licensed by the province.
“That was just a stalling tactic used by this government,” said NDP children’s services critic Rakhi Pancholi.
The delays have cost parents money. But starting in January their daycare payments will be reduced by 50 per cent.
Next year, the government says, a family earning $120,000 a year that now pays an average of $1,172 a month for one infant will pay only $284.
This agreement leaves Ontario as the only major province without a deal. Premier Doug Ford will have some explaining to do. When even Alberta sees benefit in a federal deal, shouldn’t he?
Kenney went from the daycare news conference to another with Metis leaders who are challenging the federal ban on tanker oil shipments off the northern West Coast.
He made some good points about the many First Nations that support resource development.
But the party anvil bumped along behind the premier.
With him was his Indigenous Affairs minister, Rick Wilson, and Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao.
Both their riding associations called Monday for an early leadership vote. The presidents were at the news conference.
There has to be a resolution soon or this party could blow apart at the seams, just from the stress.
Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Calgary Herald.
UCP constituency associations say they passed vote triggering early Kenney leadership review
Announcement comes ahead of the United Conservative
Party's annual general meeting this weekend
More than a quarter of the United Conservative Party's constituency associations say they have passed a special motion that will force a leadership review of Jason Kenney within the next three months.
In a letter to party president Ryan Becker that was shared with the media Monday, 22 constituency associations say they have passed identical motions that would call for the leadership review at a special general meeting sometime before March 1.
A review of Kenney's leadership was already planned for April during the party's 2022 annual general meeting. In September, the party decided to move next year's AGM up to the spring from its usual time in the fall. Monday's announcement of the special motions to force a leadership review sooner than that comes ahead of the 2021 AGM this weekend.
At a news conference Monday morning, UCP Calgary-Fish Creek constituency association president Jack Redekop declined to speak about criticism of Kenney's leadership, instead framing the early review as a matter of timing that will ensure input from as many party members as possible.
"This would allow one member, one vote," Redekop said, noting that at an annual general meeting, "only those attending are allowed to vote on the motions, including if it is a leadership review."
"So that is the primary reason."
WATCH | Kenney says UCP remains united despite calls for leadership review:
Asked about calls by many UCP constituency offices to expedite a leadership review, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says the party is united and is focusing on “big issues, not internal party politics." 1:28
'Frustrations' in party 'no secret,' Kenney says
Redekop said the early leadership review would also occur before the legislature's spring session and said the party's constitution mandates periodic leadership reviews.
"So then the question just defers to the timing," he said. "It is nothing other than that.
"I mean, do we have some members displeased with the leader? Of course we do. Do we have some members that are completely supportive of the leader? Yes we do."
He said the 22 constituency associations represent 36 per cent of sitting UCP MLAs — more than the quarter needed under the bylaws to trigger the review — but that more constituency associations are currently voting on the motion. Three boards have already rejected it, Redekop said.
Kenney is currently facing plunging approval ratings and intense pushback from his caucus and party for his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During questions from reporters at an unrelated news conference Monday, Kenney said he recognizes there has been a "very divisive and polarized debate" in the province, and within his party, on how best to respond to the pandemic.
"Those frustrations are being felt in my own party and caucus. There is no secret about that," he said.
"At the end of the day, it's my responsibility as premier, and the government's responsibility, to take responsible actions," Kenney said. "We have done that, and I do believe actually that the vast majority of the folks in my party are united around our common values and goals."
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Becker said a letter had been received "regarding a special general meeting. The board [of directors] will review and discuss it."
Motions aim to ensure security of voting system
The letter to Becker says that according to motions the associations have passed, the leadership election committee will include two constituency presidents appointed by the associations, as well as an independent accounting and auditing firm that will oversee the process to "ensure the security of the voting system."
"We know that the media in the past has suggested that there was some inappropriate malfeasance with previous campaigns," Redekop said, adding that has never been proven "and there is no evidence that that has happened."
"We just wanted to make sure that we quelled any possibility of that rumour spreading with this particular vote."
During the party's 2017 leadership vote, two of the three candidates — Brian Jean and Doug Schweitzer — asked that voting be put on hold hours after members began casting their ballots because of concerns about voter security related to personal identification numbers.
The party's leadership election committee said it found no evidence of security breaches.
Redekop said Becker has told the constituency associations that he has acknowledged the legitimacy of the boards' passed motion.
Kenney 'under seige'
The president of the Central Peace-Notley constituency association, Samantha Steinke, was more blunt than Redekop about her board's views of Kenney's leadership.
"I feel I would be doing not my job if I wasn't very clear on the stance of my (constituency association) board, which is they overwhelmingly do not support the premier," Steinke said.
She said that's the reason her board has passed the motion, but noted it wasn't the reason all the other boards had passed it.
Derrick Casey, president of the Grande Prairie constituency association, said his board passed the motion "marginally" but said "certainly there is a discontented group" within the party that disapproves of Kenney's leadership.
"It is not one issue and certainly, to have success in this motion speaks to the fact that there is a level of urgency."
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said Kenney is "under siege" from both outside and within his party.
"He has got the lowest polling numbers of any leader in the country," she said. "He is facing censure from the opposition. He is getting public criticism from his own caucus and from within his cabinet.
"And he has now got 22 constituency associations that want to force a leadership review before March."
Williams said the constituency associations that passed the motion want to send a clear message to the party that they think they can be more successful in the next provincial election with a leader other than Kenney.
Questioning Kenney? UCP associations
confirm threshold met to warrant
leadership review
Tyson Fedor
CTV News Calgary Video Journalist
Updated Nov. 15, 2021
CALGARY -
The United Conservative Party Constituency Association Presidents confirm a special motion has been passed by enough associations to pave the way for a review of Premier Jason Kenney's leadership.
At least 22 associations, accounting for more than a quarter of the UCP associations, passed a special motion demanding a leadership review be held within the next three months at a special general meeting.
“This would allow one member, one vote,” said Calgary-Fishcreek Constituency Association president Jack Redekop on Monday.
“With a AGM (annual general meeting) April 8th and 9th, just like the AGM that we have starting this weekend, only those attending are allowed to vote on the motion, including if it's a leadership review.”
Redekop says there have been nine meetings in the last eight months on calls for a leadership review. Many associations have brought forward concerns on everything from how the province handled the pandemic to pipelines and health care problems.
“We've had up to 37 constituencies on the call. Were some of those constituencies absolutely wanting to change the leader? To force a leadership review immediately, and even at this AGM? Absolutely," said Redekop.
“Frankly, I think the majority of the people on those meetings supported the leader.”
Premier Jason Kenney admits there is unrest within party lines.
“Those frustrations are being felt in my own party, in caucus. There's no secret about that,” he told reporters Monday.
“I do believe actually the vast majority of folks in my party are united around our common values and goals.”
According to the association presidents, the passing of the special motion by the 22 associations meets the threshold to trigger a special general meeting to conduct a leadership review as per the party's conditions endorsed by the board.
The presidents say that a motion will be on the floor Friday, on day one of the party’s 2021 AGM in Calgary. The motion would increase the threshold from 25 per cent of constituency associations (CA) calling for a review to 33 per cent. This vote has support of 36 per cent of associations, according to Redekop.
Though Redekop fronted a media conference on Monday, he did not pinpoint the exact reason why this review needed to be called early.
Samantha Steinke, president of the association in Central Peace-Notley region, said she does not trust Kenney to lead.
"I feel I would be doing not my job if I wasn't very clear on the stance of my CA board, which is that they overwhelmingly do not support the premier,” said Steinke.
"So that is the reason that this board has passed. But that is not the reason that all boards have passed the motion."
Party members also say that any motion brought forward at the 2021 AGM can only be brought forward by Kenney himself.
“It’s clear that premier Kenney is in a fight for his political life,” said University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young.
“I think there is a lot of discontent in the party at what is seen as being a real repudiation of that grassroots guarantee.”
Young believes the move by constituency associations sends a strong message.
“I think that it also has to do with wanting to be sure that there is a reasonably long runway for a new leader in advance of the 2023 provincial election,” she said.
Derrick Casey, constituency association president for Grande Prairie, says the timing of an early leadership review is what triggered the votes, but it didn’t sway all associations.
“Even those people who are displeased with the work of the premier are saying, ‘if we have a leadership review, who is in the wings, what then?’” said Casey.
“Those people are saying no to a leadership review, regardless of timing.”
The following are the four constituency associations who have passed the motion:
Airdrie-Cochrane
Innisfail-Sylvan Lake
Calgary-North East
Calgary-Klein
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