Premier resigns in wake of caucus revolt
Posted Mar 20, 2014 8:08 am.
Last Updated Sep 23, 2019 8:36 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a surprise move by the Premier and one that caught some, even in her own caucus off-guard.
Alison Redford held a surprise announcement in the rotunda of the Alberta Legislature Wednesday night to announce that she would be stepping down from the province’s top job.
Redford was greeted with cheers and applause from supporters who thanked her for her commitment to the job.
The MLA for Calgary Elbow says she will continue to represent the riding but announced live to the province that her party’s in-fighting had become too much of a distraction from the mandate they had been given by Albertans.
Some who gathered in the lobby were stunned to hear the defiant and beleagured leader give up after staring down a revolt.
Wildrose leader Danielle Smith and her party were quick to hold a news conference, only minutes after Redford’s announcement.
Smith told reporters Redford was never the problem, she set out to fix a broken party that’s been allowed to rule for 43 years.
“Premier Alison Redford was elected to lead the party as an outsider,” she said. “She wasn’t part of the old boys club, she was hailed as a new kind of leader who could put the party’s problems behind her and fundamentally change what it meant to be Progressive Conservative.”
Smith says what they’ve noticed is that the problems within the PC Party run far too deep for one leader to change.
She adds Redford gave everything in service of her province and for that we should be very proud and thankful.
Liberal leader Raj Sherman told reporters he was saddened to see a leader have to leave because of party in-fighting.
While NDP leader Brian Mason tweeted his thanks.
Fellow premiers like Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall were glowing in their praise.
Wall says Redford will be remembered as a strong booster of Alberta’s energy sector during her time as Premier.
“I think specifically of the branding of Alberta with respect to oilsands, I know Premier Redford was down in Washington on her most recent trips stressing the environmental record of Canada versus other countries in the world that might also be oil producers,” he told reporters.
“We got to know each other, worked on some things together, just last week we were on a tele-conference working on some important issues in the US partnership,” he adds. “I want to give her our best.”
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, whose relationship at times had been described as frosty with Redford, sen this tweet.
Those close to Redford were also surprised like Solicitor General and Minister of Justice Jonathan Denis.
A lot of MLAs told reporters they had only been told of the announcement a few hours before it was about to happen.
Denis noted that in his 14 years as as a Conservative, this will be the party’s third leadership race.
“There was definitely some in-fighting and some people who had thought of leaving,” he says. “Obviously she felt in the interest of the government and in the interest of the Conservative movement that it was important for her to step aside and I think the most important thing is to thank her for her service these past couple of years.”
Edmonton MLA Dave Dorward says opeople should not forget the good work Alison Redford did during her time as Premier.
“I think she’s a great Premier and did a whole bunch for Alberta that only maybe years from now that we’ll be able to see the effect of that so it’s a sad day for me to see her go,” he says.
Edmonton MLA Steve Young was one of two members of the Tory caucus who openly mused about crossing the aisle, he believes Redford did the right thing.
“When that trust was lost…. you can change people…. adjust strategies but it takes a lot to build that trust,” he says.
The reaction though many were wondering about and waiting to hear from was from the Premier’s inner circle.
Redford’s former chief of staff Stephen Carter believes he knows where to point the finger of blame.
https://twitter.com/carter_AB/statuses/446451527751053312″
