By Staff The Canadian Press
Posted March 18, 2022
The clock is ticking for supporters and opponents of Premier Jason Kenney to sign up members in time for the leadership review. They have until Saturday at midnight to purchase a UCP membership so they can vote on April 9 in Red Deer. As provincial affairs reporter Tom Vernon explains, campaigns on both sides are working hard to identify their support.
Alberta’s Opposition leader is ridiculing accusations from the governing United Conservatives that she and the UCP’s newest member of the legislature are in cahoots.
Rachel Notley calls it one of the “most tortured attack lines” she has ever heard and she suggests Premier Jason Kenney’s staff and supporters spreading the idea “really need to get a little bit more sleep.”
Former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean won a byelection for the UCP this week on a platform to get Kenney ousted as party leader at a leadership vote on April 9.
Critics, including government house leader Jason Nixon, say Jean has struck an alliance with Notley.
They point to Jean saying he would have brought Notley into cabinet on a short-term basis to remove partisan bickering and improve the response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Notley says it can be helpful to bring all sides together to some degree when fighting a crisis.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: A harsh homecoming for Brian Jean
She noted Jean was given full access to get information from her government when wildfires struck Jean’s hometown of Fort McMurray in 2016.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
Brian Jean calls on UCP to bring in auditor and keep leadership review in Red Deer
Lisa JohnsonEDMONTON JOURNAL
Newly-elected MLA Brian Jean is calling on the United Conservative Party to commit to keeping its leadership review meeting in Red Deer on April 9 and bring in an outside auditor amid a ballooning number of party registrants.
Newly-elected MLA Brian Jean is calling on the United Conservative Party to commit to keeping its leadership review meeting in Red Deer on April 9 and bring in an outside auditor amid a ballooning number of party registrants.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal The Alberta legislature on Nov. 5, 2020.
As of Thursday, party executives confirmed to Postmedia that there are at least 10,000 registrations to cast an in-person ballot in a leadership vote to decide party leader Premier Jason Kenney’s fate. More registrations are expected before the midnight Saturday deadline.
In a statement released Friday evening, Jean said members and potential members have “made choices” based on what they were told about the meeting.
“Making substantial changes now would be unacceptable,” said Jean.Party spokesman Dave Prisco said in an email later Friday the UCP will be retaining an auditing firm, a returning officer, and a group of party volunteers to count the ballots which will be overseen by constituency association presidents.
“We’re open to any suggestions to improve the process, but we’re confident in how things are shaping up because we’ve got the best people running things — our party members,” said Prisco. The party has not officially announced a change of venue or additional venues.
Jean also raised concerns about the UCP member list, potential back door registrations done without the knowledge of members, the facilitation of paper payment and registration forms, and staffing.
His appeal comes as the RCMP have yet to release the results of an investigation into the 2017 UCP leadership race.
As of Thursday, party executives confirmed to Postmedia that there are at least 10,000 registrations to cast an in-person ballot in a leadership vote to decide party leader Premier Jason Kenney’s fate. More registrations are expected before the midnight Saturday deadline.
In a statement released Friday evening, Jean said members and potential members have “made choices” based on what they were told about the meeting.
“Making substantial changes now would be unacceptable,” said Jean.Party spokesman Dave Prisco said in an email later Friday the UCP will be retaining an auditing firm, a returning officer, and a group of party volunteers to count the ballots which will be overseen by constituency association presidents.
“We’re open to any suggestions to improve the process, but we’re confident in how things are shaping up because we’ve got the best people running things — our party members,” said Prisco. The party has not officially announced a change of venue or additional venues.
Jean also raised concerns about the UCP member list, potential back door registrations done without the knowledge of members, the facilitation of paper payment and registration forms, and staffing.
His appeal comes as the RCMP have yet to release the results of an investigation into the 2017 UCP leadership race.
© VINCENT MCDERMOTT Newly elected UCP MLA Brian Jean speaks to supporters at his campaign office in Fort McMurray as early unofficial results roll in from the Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche byelection on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Meanwhile, dozens of UCP government staffers were signed up to campaign Friday in the final push ahead of the deadline for party registrations.
In emails obtained by Postmedia, a chief of staff to a government cabinet minister appealed to political staff to make phone calls drumming up support for Kenney, including signing off work at 4 p.m. this week and taking Friday off work to do so.
The emails include a link to a public online document, which had more than 75 political staffers including senior political staff signed up to make calls on Friday at the end of the work day.
In budget estimates Wednesday, Kenney said it’s routine for party leaders and party members to deal with internal political party responsibilities outside of their elected responsibilities.
“That is standard operating procedure,” he said.
Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said Friday the emails show a significant amount of pressure on people whose jobs potentially depend on their response.
“It speaks to the panic and desperation in the premier’s office,” said Williams.
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Meanwhile, dozens of UCP government staffers were signed up to campaign Friday in the final push ahead of the deadline for party registrations.
In emails obtained by Postmedia, a chief of staff to a government cabinet minister appealed to political staff to make phone calls drumming up support for Kenney, including signing off work at 4 p.m. this week and taking Friday off work to do so.
The emails include a link to a public online document, which had more than 75 political staffers including senior political staff signed up to make calls on Friday at the end of the work day.
In budget estimates Wednesday, Kenney said it’s routine for party leaders and party members to deal with internal political party responsibilities outside of their elected responsibilities.
“That is standard operating procedure,” he said.
Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said Friday the emails show a significant amount of pressure on people whose jobs potentially depend on their response.
“It speaks to the panic and desperation in the premier’s office,” said Williams.
Related
Senior staffers have already been pulled from their regular work to help staff the leadership drive. Last month it became public the premier’s chief of staff, Pam Livingston, was taking an unpaid leave of absence to campaign.
When asked if Livingston was the only one at the Wednesday committee, Kenney said he was only aware of one other staffer from his office, Chad Hallman, who works in issues management, who had taken a leave.
“I don’t think it’s at all extraordinary that political staff periodically work on political campaigns. It’s important when they do so that they take an unpaid leave,” said Kenney.
On Friday, the premier’s office confirmed that Brock Harrison, executive director of communications, will go on leave to work on Kenney’s leadership review campaign effective Saturday.
NDL Leader Rachel Notley told reporters at the legislature Thursday staff being asked to clock out is not a sign of a government “firing on all cylinders” to address the challenges confronting Albertans.
“The staff who have been hired to do the work of the people should be focused on doing that, they should not be focused on leaving early to make phone calls for their boss,” said Notley.
On Thursday, Jean was asked by a reporter whether he thought it was appropriate for government staffers to be told to volunteer for Kenney’s campaign.
“I do not,” he said.
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