Kenney tells UCP caucus COVID-19 dissent OK, breaking health rules means expulsion

EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is drawing a line in the sand on the 18 members of his United Conservative Party caucus openly criticizing his COVID-19 health restrictions.

Kenney says dissent is democratic but warned that breaking the health rules or encouraging others to do the same means disciplinary action that includes getting kicked out of the UCP caucus.

“We take on all of the views, but at the end of the day it is the moral responsibility of the government to do the right thing,” Kenney said during a press conference on Thursday at the University of Alberta.

Kenney said he knows there’s a lot of frustration, admitting that he also does not like any of the restrictions, but it is a necessary evil as Alberta faces a dangerous third wave of the virus.

Almost half of the 40 United Conservative backbenchers are publicly condemning a return to stricter health restrictions announced this week by Kenney.

WATCH: CityNews’ Ashna Bharkhada reports on 17 UCP MLA’s disagreeing with the decision to move back to step 1 of Alberta’s path forward.

They are calling for an easing of restrictions or, if not, targeting them at areas with high COVID-19 case rates.

Sixteen of them, most representing rural constituencies, signed an open letter this week saying the changes are a backward step that threatens livelihoods and freedoms.

UCP legislature member Martin Long is also condemning the changes, while fellow caucus member Dan Williams is calling for easing of restrictions on attendance at worship services.

The party had a lengthy meeting on Thursday, and Kenney said this dispute was a main point of discussion. But with this frustration, Kenney said that it has to be recognized that we are close to the end of the pandemic and people have to just hold firm for the next few months as vaccinations increase.

“We believe that once we get past this spring spike, we can move back to relaxing measures and we may do it on a more accelerated basis in some local areas,” he said.

There has not been much consideration of regional restrictions at this time, though, as Kenney said the reality is that even rural areas are seeing a massive jump in cases.

“The challenge has been that the virus moves very quickly, and people move as well, and the virus moves with them,” he said. “Quite frankly, right now this surge is happening pretty much everywhere.”

 – With files from the Canadian Press