Politics of the Leadership Review – Just Another Campaign

Anyone who has lived in Alberta for the last twenty years is all too familiar with Conservative leadership reviews being the driving force behind political storytelling in our province. From Klein’s resignation to the victories and subsequent falls of Stelmach and Redford, residents of the wild rose province have seen it all.

Well, at least until a new leadership review pops up.

Don’t get us wrong – the traditional elements are there. We have the status-quo and reform camps both operating as well-oiled machines leading up to April 9th. We had rhetoric and posturing galore dominate press conference questions and public statements. We had grassroots campaigners knocking on doors and making calls. We had whataboutisms flung in every direction. Everything was going according to plan.

However, no one planned for the sheer number of special general meeting registrations we saw leading up to the early bird deadline. This prompted the board of the UCP to shift the leadership review to mail-in balloting only.

At that moment, the game changed.

Mail-In Balloting Causing Internal Division

The rules are now as follows:

·         Mail-in ballots will be sent out on April 9th to those who registered by March 19th

·         Deadline for receipt of the ballots will be May 11th

·         The results will be released on or about May 18th

The party also announced it would refund the registration cost to members who purchased a ticket prior to the format change becoming official. It has been estimated that the UCP will be responsible for around $1.5 million in refunds based on registration numbers.

For the United Conservative Party Board, their messaging on the changes has focused exclusively on access to the vote and ensuring that the integrity of the voting process is maintained throughout. Party President Cynthia Moore wrote in a statement that, "the integrity of the SGM and the reputation of the Party are of the highest importance to all of us, and the Board has approved a clear process to ensure both are protected throughout the SGM.”

Premier Jason Kenney was very transparent about his agreement with the decision, suggesting it was the best decision for all involved.

“Something had to be done to accommodate the growing demand for members to have their say. The party was at risk of disenfranchising thousands of UCP members.”

If we use a conservative estimate of 13,000 early bird registrants from reports, it would have taken just over three-and-a-half hours of the allotted six to process all the ballots – at a rate of one ballot per second.

There were individuals that were calling for additional polling sites to be added in Red Deer to accommodate the growing number of participants, but the party board decided this would be the most efficient and accessible change that could be implemented on such short notice.

However, there was plenty of opposition from UCP MLAs and party members who have blasted the decision by the board. Some like Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Constituency Association President Rob Smith made the argument that “you can’t change the rules midway through a process”.

Towards the end of March, seven constituency association presidents and some party MLAs stood on the steps of the Legislature (below the Premier’s Office) and issued their demands.

Red Deer-South President Patrick Malkin issued the statement, indicating “we are asking that by noon on Wednesday the executive board do one of two things: restore the leadership review to Red Deer under the terms and conditions originally contemplated or resign. It truly is that simple." While neither of these demands were met, it accurately highlights the contentious nature of this vote regardless of the eventual outcome. It is not a stretch to hypothesize that there may very well be legal challenges filed following the release of the voting results.

As expected, MLA-elect for Fort McMurray – Lac La Biche Brian Jean provided comment on the changes while simultaneously raising red flags.

“Make no mistake, a rushed mail-in ballot is a formula for fraud and cheating. The UCP cannot survive another tainted vote.”

The Return of Danielle Smith

Alberta politics, as is true of many other jurisdictions, thrives on the power of nostalgia. In our backyard, it could not be more evident. Premier Jason Kenney rose to power here after spending considerable time as a member of Stephen Harper’s cabinet in Ottawa. Also, many conversations about provincial politics often circle back to the days of Ralph Klein, Don Getty, and Peter Lougheed – even in 2022.

Now, we have learned that another former Wildrose leader is hoping to make a grand return to Alberta’s political stage.

Danielle Smith has announced her intention to seek the nomination for the southern riding of Livingstone – Macleod, a seat currently held by MLA Roger Reid. At the time of writing, the UCP have not posted notice of the nomination timing for the riding. She’s back, and she is placing a target on Premier Jason Kenney.

Her reason for returning – concerns about changes being made to the special general meeting that was intended to host the leadership review process. Not only is she interested in returning to the Legislature, but she has also made it clear that she will enter the leadership race if Premier Kenney loses the review. "I would be quite delighted to be able to represent the people of this province in that capacity. But to me, it's up to members."

As was the case with Brian Jean’s return, Smith’s announcement created waves in Alberta’s political ecosystem. However, her return is contentious for different reasons for conservatives in our province. At one time, Smith was considered by many as the leader destined to overtake the Premier’s Office from the four-decade rule of the Progressive Conservative Party. She had helped build the Wildrose into a legitimate political player in our province, but eventually joined the mass-floor crossing to the Jim Prentice-led Progressive Conservatives in 2014.

Given her role in the floor crossing, many have questioned whether she has any standing to claim that her return is predicated on ignoring members during the leadership review.

"What I learned from that experience is that even though I had a very large role in building up the Wildrose Party, a party does not belong to its leader — a party belongs to its members.”

She would go on to say that she has and continues to apologize for the incident.

Premier Kenney didn’t hesitate in commenting on her return, saying “as long as I'm leader of the United Conservative Party, I will not permit a rerun of the 'lake of fire' incident.”

MLA Roger Reid has confirmed that he intends to seek the nomination in his riding once again.

While the business of the Legislature must carry on despite internal party politics, the future of Alberta politics remains uncertain and effectively “frozen” pending the results. Everything from the status quo to a snap election fall within the realm of possibility, so it will be critical for those with government relations goals to remain agile and flexible for the time being.