Alberta UCP MLAs take shot at Jason Kenny’s upcoming leadership review
Posted Mar 26, 2022 10:33 am.
Last Updated Mar 26, 2022 10:34 am.
Premier Jason Kenney came under fire from within his own party earlier this week after the UCP announced it’s taking the leadership review online.
A couple of UCP backbenchers broke ranks, calling the party’s revamped leadership review a “sham” and saying it’s time for Kenney to resign.
UCP MLA Peter Guthrie calls for an *immediate* leadership race for a new party boss- foregoing the April 9th leadership review that he says has been "tainted". #yeg #yyc #ableg pic.twitter.com/Mmalpfc7va
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) March 24, 2022
Peter Guthrie, MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane, and Jason Stephan, the MLA representing the constituency of Red Deer-South, say the party’s late changes to the review were designed to ensure Kenney wins a vote he was destined to lose.
Guthrie took to Facebook saying the decision reeks of desperation and the party has unjustifiably altered the rules so there is now only one option.
“(The) party should forgo the review fiasco and move immediately forward with a leadership contest to save the credibility of the party and find a new leader. I believe there will be a lot of interested candidates from all across the province who will come forward to help restore faith in the process and repair trust in the role of leadership,” said Guthrie.
Party membership skyrocketed with the highly anticipated vote prompting the UCP to take the leadership review online with mail-in balloting.
Related Article: UCP board president outlines leadership review process amid new mail-in voting
But Guthrie says it’s a process that is ripe for manipulation even with auditing on the back end.
Critics say the mail-in ballot makes it easier for Kenney to win and increases the opportunity for vote-rigging.
About 15,000 members were expected to meet up in Red Deer on April 9 to cast a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on Kenney’s leadership, with less than majority support for Kenney leading to a leadership race.
Related Article: Kenney’s caucus members urge him to quit or shift back to in-person UCP leadership vote
But the party cancelled the meeting this week and replaced it with a mail-in ballot, which critics say makes it easier for Kenney to win and increases the opportunity for vote-rigging.
“The party has unjustifiably altered the rules and it has become apparent that (once) trust and for a fair and equitable process are tainted one option remains. The party should forgo the review fiasco and move immediately forward with a leadership contest to save the credibility of the party and find a new leader,” said Guthrie.
