Alberta Progressive Conservatives choose Kenney as new leader
CALGARY — Jason Kenney is the new leader of Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives.
Kenney, 48, captured 1,113 of 1,476 votes cast in the party’s first delegated convention since 1985.
Richard Starke, a sitting PC legislature member, was second with 323 votes. Longtime party member Byron Nelson was a distant third, with 40 votes.
“Today, it’s springtime in Alberta,” Kenney proclaimed after the results were revealed.
“This result sends a message to our fellow Albertans who are struggling, to those 200,000 Albertans who are looking for work, we are going to ensure there is a government on your side.”
Kenney will now begin the next phase of his unite-the-right campaign by seeking a deal with the Wildrose party to join forces under a new conservative banner.
Under Alberta rules, political parties cannot merge. Rather, they must fold up shop and surrender their assets before seeking to create a new party.
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean has said he’s open to meeting with the new PC leader.
Jean congratulated Kenney in a statement Saturday evening: “Wildrose has its dancing shoes on when it comes to creating a single, principled, consolidated, conservative movement,” he said. “I hope to meet with Jason on Monday.”
Kenney has stressed unity is necessary to avoid the vote splitting he says led to the majority win by Premier Rachel Notley’s NDP in 2015. Notley’s win brought to an end four decades of PC rule in Alberta.
Kenney attacked the New Democrats in his speech after his win.
“Today is the beginning of the end of this disastrous socialist government,” he said as supporters roared their approval. “You have decided, we have decided, to ensure the defeat of this tax-hiking, jobkilling, debt-loving, mean-spirited, incompetent NDP government.”