First O'Toole, now Kenney: What some are saying it means for state of conservatism
Yesterday
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The fall of Jason Kenney, a juggernaut of conservatism in Canada, has prompted many federal Tories to consider the future of the party, which is in the midst of being decided in a leadership race seen as a fractious fight for its soul.
Conservative MPs on Thursday reacted to Kenney’s resignation as Alberta premier with a mix of sadness, surprise and gratitude for his years of public service. The party stalwart, known for his organizational chops and outreach to new immigrants,served in the cabinet of former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.
Harper applauded Kenney in a tweet Thursday for having dedicated 30 years of his life to conservative politics in Alberta, nationally and the movement overall.
Kenney announced his resignation as premier and United Conservative Party leader late Wednesday after narrowly winning a leadership review with just over 51 per cent of the vote. That verdict followed months of open rebellion by MLAs who, among other things, fiercely opposed Kenney's imposition of lockdowns and COVID-19 vaccine passports.
"This is a time, I think, of quiet reflection for conservatives in Alberta and in the conservative movement," said Calgary MP Stephanie Kusie, who is assisting with Pierre Poilievre's leadership campaign in the federal race.
"This is also a time not to panic, not to get excited, not to fight each other, but to stay focused on the principles and values which have allowed us to win before."
But that may be too late. Kenney is the latest conservative leader in the country to have found himself on the outs with his party's base for reasons that include their handling of the pandemic.
The last example before him was former federal Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, who was forced out in early February by a majority of his MPs. That breakup followed his struggle to satisfy supporters with a firm enough stance against vaccine mandates, as well as caucus disputes over his reversal on carbon pricing and gun control policies in an attempt to moderate the party's image.
Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault, a Liberal MP from Edmonton, said Thursday he sees a trend of conservative leaders being pushed out of their parties for not being "extreme enough," saying that should be a wake-up call to the movement's moderates.
Before their respective falls, Kenney and O'Toole both painted themselves as trying to build modern, mainstream conservative parties that some darker, more extreme elements from within were trying to take in a different direction.
Veteran Conservative strategist Melanie Paradis sees that as being a direction fuelled by anger.
"Close observers have seen the movement going in this direction for awhile."
O'Toole and Kenney critics both faulted the pair for failing to manage their caucuses and leading with a my-way-or-the-highway approach.
Longtime Ontario MP Michael Chong, who served alongside Kenney in Harper's cabinet, said he believes conservative parties, both federal and provincial ones, are right now a reflection of the level of frustration Canadians feel after two years of pandemic living.
How much the Conservative party, namely those running to be its next leader, should lean into that frustration is up for debate.
"I think there is tremendous risk in the long-term. It may generate short-term gain, but there's tremendous risk in the long-term to holding up a mirror to anger instead of acknowledging it and offering solutions," said Paradis.
Poilievre, the longtime MP from Ottawa, has been accused by rival candidates of running a campaign of divisiveness and embracing support from the right-wing, anti-mandate and anti-government populism that was on display during the convoy protests seen across the country earlier this year.
The leadership contest has been contentious and at times involved candidates lobbing personal attacks at one another. The dynamics of the race recently spilled over into the caucus room.
Ed Fast, a longtime MP who is helping chair Jean Charest's leadership campaign, stepped down from his role as the Conservative finance critic late Wednesday.
Earlier that day, he had criticized Poilievre for proposing to fire the Bank of Canada governor over the country's high inflation rate.
"Mr. Poilievre's statements on monetary policy needed to be addressed. And I have absolutely no regrets for doing that," Fast said on Thursday.
Fast had told reporters he believed Poilievre's pledge hurt the party's credibility on economic issues and counted as interfering with the central bank's independence.
Some within caucus felt Fast had crossed a line by invoking his finance critic title in his remarks. Fast said he was made to feel like he needed to stay silent on Poilievre's attacks against the central bank and promotion of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin as a solution to inflation.
"You cannot be finance critic and then have an expectation from a leadership candidate that you should not speak out on issues he is speaking out on and that you vehemently disagree with," Fast said, though he declined to provide more details about what happened behind closed doors.
"I'm not going to comment on who said what and when and how. These are caucus colleagues, and my conversations with my caucus colleagues are confidential."
At the end of the day, Fast said, he and interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen felt his position as finance critic had become "untenable," adding that the issue had been brewing for some time.
For Calgary MP Greg McLean, who has yet to endorse anyone in the leadership contest, the "nastiness" of the tone of the race "just doesn't work."
He said what happens on the campaign trail should stay there and not be allowed to interfere in the work MPs are doing in the House of Commons to hold the Liberal government to account.
"I think Mr. Fast served his office honourably and I think that his stepping down — it doesn't make me happy."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.
Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
Canadian premier abruptly quits amid surge in far-right influences
Conservative Jason Kenney, Alberta premier, leaves province’s top job after barely surviving a leadership review
Conservative Jason Kenney, Alberta premier, leaves province’s top job after barely surviving a leadership review
Jason Kenney speaks in Calgary on 18 May.
Photograph: Canadian Press/REX/Shutterstock
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Leyland Cecco in Toronto
THE GUARDIAN
Thu 19 May 2022
The abrupt resignation of Alberta’s premier has shocked the western province and raised questions about the ideological direction of Canada’s conservative movement amid a surge in far-right and populist influences.
Jason Kenney announced late on Wednesday that he was leaving the province’s top job after barely surviving a leadership review. A slim majority of party members – 51.4% – had voted in favour of keeping him in power but Kenney said that support wasn’t enough to justify remaining head of the governing United Conservatives.
“The result is not what I hoped for or frankly what I expected,” Kenney told supporters. The premier had previously said he would view any result above 50% as a win.
“He had seemed so doggedly determined to remain on his leader … with even a single vote more than those who voted against him,” said Lori Williams, a professor of political science at Calgary’s Mount Royal University. “So his decision was very much a surprise.”
Once a star cabinet minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper, Kenney returned to Alberta to unite warring conservative factions and oust the governing leftwing New Democratic Party.
He won a strong majority in 2019, but his tenure was marred by party infighting and threats of mutiny. His pugilistic brand of politics won him allies but also created a growing list of enemies and disaffected party members.
“It takes a truly extraordinary leader to try to persuade people who may dislike and disrespect one another to work together for the sake of governance,” said Williams, pointing out the only Canada politician able to effectively take on this challenge was Harper.
Canada’s Covid protests highlight rise of rightwing populist movements
Kenney’s popularity cratered during the coronavirus pandemic as he fought off criticism from within his own party amid fierce debates over public health measures. Rightwing elements were angered by restrictions on businesses and movement, but more moderate party members feared an overwhelmed health care system. At one point during the pandemic, Alberta had one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in North America.
As the debate intensified over who should speak for the party, the premier warned in March that conservative movement was being overrun by far-right “lunatics … trying to take over the asylum”.
But turning on his own party probably accelerated challenges to his leadership, say former supporters.
Rick Bell, political columnist at the Calgary Sun and longtime advocate of the outgoing premier, wrote that the fall of Kenney was “stunning” but expected.
“He never listened. Never. He was right. We all were wrong. Until we were right,” wrote Bell.
Even though the province has lifted its public health restrictions and significant revenue from oil and gas is flowing into the provincial treasury, voters seem unwilling to forgive Kenney.
Canada: key Conservative says party risks takeover by far-right ‘lunatics’
Kenney joins a growing list of conservative premiers unable to finish out their term: since 2004, Alberta has seen seven premiers. Only one – New Democrat Rachel Notley – served a full term.
But Kenney’s departure amid bitter infighting over the ideological direction of the party, will loom over the current race for a federal Conservative leader.
The national party has already turfed two of their leaders in recent years, Erin O’Toole and Andrew Scheer, both of whom campaigned to the right and then tried to woo centrist voters in a general election.
“There’s almost competing imperatives facing a leader of a coalition Conservative party. One is to win the support of their own caucus – and the other is to win an election by appealing to a broader range of electors,” said Williams. “But neither really seems compatible.”
Canada Conservatives oust leader Erin O’Toole
A federal Liberal from Alberta called the recent resignations a “disturbing trend” among his political rivals.
“The conservative movement in this country is heading to a dark place. And I find that very troubling,” Randy Boissonnault told reporters on Thursday.
As conservatives in Alberta grapple with their party’s future, Williams sees a difficult and unenviable task for the eventual leader.
“You really have to wonder who would want to take this on. Who would want to risk their reputation and their political future on the challenges we’re seeing boiling up within this party?”
The abrupt resignation of Alberta’s premier has shocked the western province and raised questions about the ideological direction of Canada’s conservative movement amid a surge in far-right and populist influences.
Jason Kenney announced late on Wednesday that he was leaving the province’s top job after barely surviving a leadership review. A slim majority of party members – 51.4% – had voted in favour of keeping him in power but Kenney said that support wasn’t enough to justify remaining head of the governing United Conservatives.
“The result is not what I hoped for or frankly what I expected,” Kenney told supporters. The premier had previously said he would view any result above 50% as a win.
“He had seemed so doggedly determined to remain on his leader … with even a single vote more than those who voted against him,” said Lori Williams, a professor of political science at Calgary’s Mount Royal University. “So his decision was very much a surprise.”
Once a star cabinet minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper, Kenney returned to Alberta to unite warring conservative factions and oust the governing leftwing New Democratic Party.
He won a strong majority in 2019, but his tenure was marred by party infighting and threats of mutiny. His pugilistic brand of politics won him allies but also created a growing list of enemies and disaffected party members.
“It takes a truly extraordinary leader to try to persuade people who may dislike and disrespect one another to work together for the sake of governance,” said Williams, pointing out the only Canada politician able to effectively take on this challenge was Harper.
Canada’s Covid protests highlight rise of rightwing populist movements
Kenney’s popularity cratered during the coronavirus pandemic as he fought off criticism from within his own party amid fierce debates over public health measures. Rightwing elements were angered by restrictions on businesses and movement, but more moderate party members feared an overwhelmed health care system. At one point during the pandemic, Alberta had one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in North America.
As the debate intensified over who should speak for the party, the premier warned in March that conservative movement was being overrun by far-right “lunatics … trying to take over the asylum”.
But turning on his own party probably accelerated challenges to his leadership, say former supporters.
Rick Bell, political columnist at the Calgary Sun and longtime advocate of the outgoing premier, wrote that the fall of Kenney was “stunning” but expected.
“He never listened. Never. He was right. We all were wrong. Until we were right,” wrote Bell.
Even though the province has lifted its public health restrictions and significant revenue from oil and gas is flowing into the provincial treasury, voters seem unwilling to forgive Kenney.
Canada: key Conservative says party risks takeover by far-right ‘lunatics’
Kenney joins a growing list of conservative premiers unable to finish out their term: since 2004, Alberta has seen seven premiers. Only one – New Democrat Rachel Notley – served a full term.
But Kenney’s departure amid bitter infighting over the ideological direction of the party, will loom over the current race for a federal Conservative leader.
The national party has already turfed two of their leaders in recent years, Erin O’Toole and Andrew Scheer, both of whom campaigned to the right and then tried to woo centrist voters in a general election.
“There’s almost competing imperatives facing a leader of a coalition Conservative party. One is to win the support of their own caucus – and the other is to win an election by appealing to a broader range of electors,” said Williams. “But neither really seems compatible.”
Canada Conservatives oust leader Erin O’Toole
A federal Liberal from Alberta called the recent resignations a “disturbing trend” among his political rivals.
“The conservative movement in this country is heading to a dark place. And I find that very troubling,” Randy Boissonnault told reporters on Thursday.
As conservatives in Alberta grapple with their party’s future, Williams sees a difficult and unenviable task for the eventual leader.
“You really have to wonder who would want to take this on. Who would want to risk their reputation and their political future on the challenges we’re seeing boiling up within this party?”
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