“Ask yourself what you are willing to risk in a leadership race. For us, nine lost months, a divisive internal campaign and the real threat of an NDP government are not worth it,” the letter said. Kenney shared the letter online and said it was an “honor” to have support. He faces a leadership review that begins Saturday. The results of the postal vote are expected on May 18. The letter begins by describing the disadvantage the United Conservative Party would face if members voted to replace Kenny. He also applauded him for keeping his campaign promises, creating jobs and imposing some of the fewest restrictions on COVID-19 by any prime minister. The provincial elections are scheduled for May 29, 2023, and the MLAs predicted that the new UCP leader would probably not be elected until mid-October. “Party members, even those who are unhappy with Prime Minister Kenney, should think very carefully about what he looks like,” the MLAs wrote, calling for unity. “The last time the Conservatives started this path, we went through four leaders in 10 years, eroding the Alberts’ confidence in our ability to stay united and put their interests above our own.”
A SIGN THAT KENY IS “DESPAIRED”: BRAT
An NDP MLA wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that it was too late to change public opinion about Kenney and his government. “While UCP focuses on itself and retains power, we focus on Alberta, Alberta healthcare, cost of living and jobs. Kenney does not prioritize Alberta and never has,” said Lori Sigurdson from the Edmonton-Riverview. A political scientist pointed out that the people who signed the letter “is not list A” of the local conservatives. Political scientist Duane Bratt said that what is most interesting to him is how many people involved in UCP are not on the list. “We did not have many politicians to really come out and support Jason Kenney. It is the silence that I find interesting.” said Professor Mount Royal. “I do not think it hurts. It can help some riders and some teams. But it is also a sign of how desperate the campaign is going. Why do you need this letter if it is slam dunk?” Bratt pointed out that Rachel Notley, Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford did not campaign in such a way when faced with leadership criticism during their respective premieres. The letter is signed by former Cabinet Secretary Shirley McClellan, Iris Evans and Pat Nelson. Evans, the most recent of those who served as an MLA, retired from politics in 2012. A ThinkHQ poll released on Tuesday tied Kenney’s approval rating to 30 percent, with 61 percent of current UCP members polled wanting to replace him. The Alberta Adult Online Survey was conducted between March 29 and April 1 using a sample size of 1,135 individuals. The margin of error for a comparable random sample based on the probabilities of this magnitude is +/- 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
