Kenney quitting ‘opportunity to rejuvenate’

Jason Kenney, who arrived to unite conservatives in Alberta five years ago, can unite them again by leaving, said former government MLA, now independent conservative Drew Barnes.

Kenney resigned as leader of the United Conservative Party on Wednesday in a surprise move following a slim win in a leadership review.

The premier, who had said he would consider a bare majority as a mandate to remain, instead announced he would step down after receiving just 51.4 per cent of about 34,000 votes.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Barnes told the News. “I knew it would be close to 50 per cent, but for him to resign?

“I want to thank Jason Kenney for his service to Alberta, but it’s clear that he lost the trust of Albertans.

“I’m glad he resigned. It gives conservatives in Alberta an opportunity to rejuvenate, and for Albertans, too.”

Barnes was removed from the UCP caucus last spring after vocally criticizing Kenney’s leadership style, decision making and not pushing hard enough for more provincial autonomy issues. He has kept up the criticism as an independent MLA but said Wednesday he is now considering “all options.”

That could include rejoining the party, but he said he wanted to talk with UCP caucus members after they meet Thursday morning.

“I’m interested to see what happens coming out of that meeting,” he said.

Michaela Frey, the party’s MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, was generally supportive of Kenney, and had told local media this week she looked forward to the party vote and moving past the leadership question.

She said in a brief message on Wednesday that Kenney was gracious in his address and his words “spoke for themselves.”

Many local party supporters in Medicine Hat withheld their opinions about the review — a divisive issue inside the party and out — when queried about it in the past few weeks.

In a release, opposition leader Rachel Notley thanked Kenney for his work, and the New Democratic former premier promised further comment Thursday.

Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita, who is expected to challenge Frey in BrooksMedicine Hat in the next election, said “public service is a big job and Jason Kenney should be thanked.”

“But it doesn’t change a lot, and a lot of the people who were around are still around,” said Morishita from his home in Brooks.

“The vote shows that there’s still deep divisions ... Albertans have had a UCP government and a New Democrat government, and they are unsatisfied with those options.”

A number of UCP riding association heads forced a leadership review at the party’s policy convention this winter.

Originally to take place in person at an event in Red Deer, it was opened up shortly beforehand to all party members.

They voted between April 9 and May 11, but amidst persistent rumours about the validity of the votes. About 14,000 members tuned into an online video about the voting verification process.

The result was 17,638 answering yes to the question of approval with 16,660 saying no.

Through the process, Kenney continued to tout the strengthening economy and his government’s actions, but drew low numbers to a lunch event in Medicine Hat last month as he announce air ambulance funding.

Party president Cynthia Moore hosted a special meeting of the party Wednesday to announce the result and said the process and Kenney’s stumping throughout the province had itself restoked the UCP brand.

“I’m confident that we’ll carry that into the next election,” she said.