Alberta Premier Jason Kenney gives United Conservatives ultimatum

Facing a friendly crowd of supporters in Red Deer, Premier Jason Kenney said if he’s not allowed to continue as UCP leader, then it would lead to a second NDP term in the province.

Kenney kicked off the leadership review by recounting how former premier Ralph Klein was “kicked to the curb” in 2005 and noted it “set off a decade of division” within the Conservative party.

He says it showed Albertans that the conservatives were more concerned with settling scores between each other than actually leading.

Related Article: Kenney’s UCP leadership review begins today

“Cycling through four PC leaders and ending up with two Conservative parties fighting a bitter civil war. Floor crossings, rancor, intrigue.”

He says after seeing how split the conservatives were in Alberta, he felt like he needed to unite them.

“I knew that if (the NDP) got a second consecutive term, they would fundamentally change this province forever and we would lose Alberta as we know it. We would lose this province as a beacon of hope, and as Canada’s bastion of free enterprise,” Kenney said.

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“They would drive their toxic ideas into our schools, they would regulate and unionize everything that moves, they’d crush businesses with their class warfare politics of resentment, and they’d turn Alberta into a vassal state for Justin Trudeau’s Ottawa.”

Mail-in ballots are being sent to registered members to determine whether or not Kenney should continue as UCP leader.

•Says he did what he had to do during pandemic to preserve human life, and while freedom is a core conservative value, so is protecting people from dying

•SGM crowd filled with Kenney supporters cheer as he goes through speech#abpoli #cdnpoli #ableg #Alberta pic.twitter.com/je5CFICU1w

— Saif Kaisar (@StaySaif) April 9, 2022

Kenney says in-fighting previously led to the NDP snatching victory in the province, and if he loses, that’ll happen again.

He gave UCP members an ultimatum.

“One path is the path of division, the other is the path of unity,” he said.

“I truly fear that if we choose the path of division, it will drive a wedge right down the middle of our party from which we may never again recover, and there is only one person who wins from that, and her name is Rachel Notley.”

“Friends, I choose the future, I choose unity, I choose to go forward together,” Kenney added. He was met with roaring applause from a crowd of supporters.

Kenney speaks @ UCP SGM:
•Denounces NDP, says NDP term 2 would end #Alberta as we know it & create Trudeau vassal state

•Says conservative in-fighting leads to NDP victory

•Notes his gov made good on almost all promises & fought for 'stronger Alberta'#abpoli #cdnpoli #ableg pic.twitter.com/IkRyfyR3Je

— Saif Kaisar (@StaySaif) April 9, 2022

Around 59,000 UCP members are eligible to cast a vote in the leadership review.

Results are expected to be announced May 18.

If Kenney does not receive a majority, then a leadership race must be held.