Kenney Gone, Maybe Not - WildRose Country

Premier Jason Kenney quits as UCP leader

United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney is stepping down after only 51.4 per cent of party members supported him in a leadership review vote.

Of the 34,298 votes cast, 17,638 voted in favour of Kenney’s leadership and 16,660 voted against.

“The result is not what I hoped for or frankly what I expected,” said Kenney, in Calgary shortly after the results were announced.

A leadership race would have been triggered automatically if Kenney failed to get 50 per cent of the vote.

“While 51 per cent of the vote passes the constitutional threshold of a majority it clearly is not adequate support to continue on as leader.

“And that is why tonight I have informed the president of the party of my intention to step down as leader of the United Conservative Party,” said Kenney to groans from the crowd of supporters.

“I’m sorry, but friends, but I truly believe we need to move forward. We need to move forward united. We need to put the past behind us and a large number of our members have asked for the opportunity to clear the air through a leadership election.”

Kenney said he recommended that the provincial board schedule a leadership election in a “timely fashion.”

https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/premier-jason-kenney-quits-as-ucp-leader/

Jason Kenney has quit as UCP leader. What happens to the party and government now?

With Jason Kenney having stepped down as leader of Alberta's United Conservative Party, who is now leader of the province?

Technically, Kenney remains Alberta's premier.

But in the case that a leader loses a leadership review or leaves the role vacant for any other reason – like Kenney did by resigning to the surprise of many on Wednesday – the party's rules call for a leadership election.

"We will, over the next days and weeks, set out the process for the leadership review, the conditions it will have to have, and the requirements for those who want to run for the leadership – deposits, timelines, and so forth," explained Calgary political scientist Lori Williams.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/jason-kenney-has-quit-as-ucp-leader-what-happens-to-the-party-and-government-now-1.5910742

Key Influencer Profile - Paul Hinman

A born and raised Albertan, Paul Hinman was born in Edmonton and soon after moved to Calgary where he was raised in the neighborhood of Haysboro. Hinman attended the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy which he left before graduating, later working in the agriculture industry as a small business entrepreneur and farmer.

At age 14, Hinman began his involvement in politics. He would attend Alberta Social Credit Party AGMs with his grandfather, Ted Himan who was the former MLA for Cardston, serving as Finance Minister and Municipal Affairs Minister under Premier Ernest Manning. Paul Hinman served as the youth representative on the provincial board and as VP Policy. Hinman was involved in the founding of the Alberta Alliance, serving as VP Policy until being elected as an MLA in 2004.

In 2004, he was elected as the MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner as the first Alberta Alliance MLA and later becoming party leader. Towards the end of his term, he led the party through its merger with the Wildrose and subsequently was the leader of the new Wildrose Alliance for a year as they went through the 2008 election. Hinman would step down as party leader after failing to retain his seat in the Legislature. Hinman was able to return to the Legislature after running in the 2009 Calgary-Glenmore by-election for the Wildrose. In 2012, Hinman once again was without a seat and became a personal advisor to then-Wildrose leader, Danielle Smith.

https://www.albertacounselnews.com/thenews/key-influencer-paul-hinman