Embattled Alberta premier resigns
Redford leaves office as of Sunday
CALGARY — With the government in turmoil and Tory MLAs and party members in open defiance of her leadership, Alberta Premier Alison Redford resigned Wednesday night less than two years after leading the Progressive Conservative party to another massive majority.
Redford — who became Alberta’s first female premier in October 2011 and took the party to 61 seats in the April 2012 provincial election — stepped down in a hastilycalled announcement in the legislature in Edmonton.
“I have given my heart and my soul to this province every single minute of the day for the last two and a half years,” said Redford, who choked up at times but also smiled through much of the announcement. “I am not prepared to allow party and caucus infighting to get in the way of building a better future for our province and all Albertans. And that is why I am announcing today, with a profound optimism for Alberta’s future, I am resigning as premier of Alberta effective this Sunday evening.”
The 48-year-old Redford’s exit from the premier’s office follows the rocky departures of her two immediate pre- decessors in the 43-year-old dynasty, Ed Stelmach and Ralph Klein.
She said the PC party would have a decision to make in the weeks ahead and that she fully supported the party. It was unclear who would take over the reins of the government. She did not take questions from reporters.
Redford’s political career has been filled with drama, with the former justice minis- ter capturing the Tory leadership in 2011 as an outsider underdog and leading the PCs to a come-from-behind victory over the Wildrose Party in 2012.
But Redford has come under fire for a series of controversies over travel and expenses, and a top-down management style, with the issues exploding last week.
While Redford repaid the contentious $45,000 cost for her trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s memorial, it was done in the face of a potential caucus revolt, with an estimated 20 to 25 MLAs potentially ready to bolt.
Len Webber, MLA for Calgary-Foothills, chose to leave to sit as an independent. On the way out, he accused Redford of being a bully who abused staffers and MLAs.
Then on Monday, associate cabinet minister Donna Kennedy-Glans also left the Tory caucus.
While her criticism of Redford was tempered, she said there was a culture of entitlement within the PC government.