There were plenty of Albertans surprised when a former cabinet member said he would quit federal politics to take a run at the provincial PC leadership in an effort to unite the right.
Leadership candidate Jason Kenney said he was just as surprised himself.
“So was I,” Kenney said last week during a stop in Okotoks. “I concluded there are other competent candidates for the federal leadership but no one else was stepping forward to bring like-minded Albertans together to defeat the NDP.”
Kenney announced on July 6 that he would step down as the Calgary-Midnapore MP and seek the leadership of the provincial PC party.
The PC leadership election is scheduled for March 18 in Calgary.
Kenney was at Okotoks Sweetgrass restaurant on Aug. 8 as part of the Unite Alberta tour. Sitting in on the discussion were former Alberta PC ministers George Groeneveld, Ted Morton, Foothills MP John Barlow and others.
“We’re trying to get to all 87 ridings and every major community at least once,” Kenney said in an interview after the discussion. “We wanted to talk to grassroots Albertans on how we can bring Albertans to defeat the NDP and get the province on the right track — and restore the Alberta Advantage.”
Kenney scoffed at the suggestions he is more aligned with the Wildrose party than the PCs. The Wildrose is Alberta’s official opposition with 22 seats. The PCs have nine. The NDP is the official government with 54 seats.
“I have not really been involved with either provincial party, we try to stay neutral federally,” Kenney said.
He admitted to being a small ‘c’ conservative, adding he has experience in helping bring parties together. He played a large role in bringing the Canadian Alliance party and the Progressive Conservative together as the Conservatives federally in 2003. Conservative leader Stephen Harper became prime minister in 2006, a position he held until last October when the Conservatives were ousted by the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal party.
Kenney said a similar meeting of conservatives is needed in Alberta.
“We need to go through a similar process in Alberta,” Kenney said. “Down in this area, rural Alberta did not elect any NDP MLAs but the rest of the province did. This is a government that is wrecking our province’s economy.
“I cannot tolerate the possibility of a second NDP term. We have to do everything we can to prevent that, and the only way is by uniting.”
Kenney admitted there is little he can do about $40 a barrel of oil.
“Albertans understand that commodity prices are beyond our control,” he said. “What they don’t understand is a government that is making a bad situation worse — and that’s only after one year.”
Kenney said he would repeal the carbon tax the NDP government is about to place, as well as other tax increases.
“But most importantly, restore investor confidence,” Kenney said. “Tens of billions of dollars of capital are fleeing this province because we already have a high cost of exploration and development for oil and gas. They (the NDP) are making it more expensive and uncertain.”
He said the Wildrose Party and the PCs are not far apart in the provincial legislature in reality.
He said excluding one PC MLA, the party has voted the same as the Wildrose 86 per cent of the time since Premier Rachel Notley was elected.
As former Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Kenney was successful in doubling the support from new Canadians for the Conservatives.
“I will take a similar approach in Alberta,” Kenney said. “Most new Canadians are naturally conservative in the way they run their lives, their work ethic, their devotion to family, entrepreneurial… If we make a focused effort, we can ensure the new conservative party we are hoping to create in Alberta is the natural political home of new Albertans and new Canadians.”
Kenney has discussed matters with Wildrose leader Brian Jean.
“My message to him is keep doing what he is doing —hold the NDP’s feet to the fire,” Kenney said. “And please block off his schedule on March 20th because I want to sit and begin discussions with him at that point.”
