Brian Jean, a member of the Kenney UCP parliamentary group, expressed concern last week that many of the estimated 59,000 voters may have been inappropriately added to the lists at the last minute without knowing it and by registering for $ 10 paid by someone. other. However, Jean said in a statement on Friday that he and other stakeholders had spoken and seen evidence from the UCP board and were now certain that about 92 per cent of the signatures had enough legitimacy to go ahead. “This list has problems,” Jean said. “I think there are thousands of people on the list who have not paid for their own subscriptions, but I also know that about 54,000 out of 58,500 [potential voters] they are either long-term members or have bought their subscriptions with their own personal credit cards “. He added: “It’s time to dump her and move on.” The decision comes a day before the vote on the Kenney leadership review begins. It is a referendum that has revealed deep rifts in the party and resentment with Kenny. It was supposed to be a one-day personal vote at Red Deer on Saturday. But two weeks ago, the UCP board changed it to a mail-order contest across the province. The board said widespread interest – with 15,000 party members expected to travel to the polls – made it impossible to make a personal choice one day. Opponents of the prime minister, including Jean, said they suspected the change was ordered by Kenney’s camp because he did not have numbers on his side and had to expand the voter base beyond those willing or able to travel to Red Deer. Jean said he and 11 other members of the UCP had challenged the change in the party’s arbitration committee, and through it, along with information provided by the party, he said some of their concerns had been allayed. “Based on this information and the possibility that the continuation of the arbitration could lead to a delayed process, Jean and the other members decided to withdraw their complaint and let the voters on the current UCP list decide on the matter,” he said. . the STATEMENT. On Saturday, Kenney will deliver a virtual speech to members in the morning and then the ballots will be mailed. Marked ballots must be returned by May 11 and the decision announced on May 18. Kenney must gather a majority of voters to validate his confidence in the work he has done. If not, a leadership struggle must be declared. The prime minister has faced sluggish numbers and has clashed with party factions, constituency presidents and members of the parliamentary group over his leadership and policies on COVID-19. Kenney, in turn, described the leadership’s assessment of a piracy through a representative and his “crazy” opponents who embrace hatred and racial and religious fanaticism. Jean resigned from his position at the UCP in 2018, shortly after losing to Kenney in the inaugural race for party leadership. Last month, he won a run-off election at Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche under the UCP banner in a campaign promise to fight for Kenney’s ouster. Jean said the failures of Kenney’s policy, along with top-down management, alienate the base’s supporters and call for a victory for the opposition in the 2023 NDP elections. Jean was sworn in as a member of the legislature on Thursday, leading to speculation about whether he would be allowed to remain on the UCP parliamentary group. Over the past year, some of Kenney’s harsh critics have been voted out of parliament, while others have been allowed to remain.
