UCP leader will be chosen Saturday

By Gillian Slade on October 28, 2017.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

By late Saturday afternoon a leader for the United Conservative Party will have been elected hoping to forge a path that leads to winning the next provincial election.

Not all party members are on board though.

Bill Grady, a former president of the local riding for the Progressive Conservative party, which was united with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP, is looking for an alternative.

“I am still a member but I am not going to cast a vote at all,” said Grady. “I don’t believe this United Party thing has any value, personally. I don’t think Mr. Kenney has any value to me personally and I have no faith in Mr. Jean.”

There are three candidates for leadership of the UCP: Jason Kenney, Brian Jean and Doug Schweitzer.

Cypress-Medicine Hat Drew Barnes, who endorsed Kenney a few months ago, believes Kenney will achieve a sizable victory on the first ballot.

About 62,000 UCP members are registered to vote, out of 106,000 members, representing 59 per cent as the rate of registration, according to a UCP press release.

Voting commenced 9 a.m. Thursday and will end until 5 p.m. Saturday. The results will be announced in Calgary at the BMO Centre shortly after voting closes.

The UCP Election Committee reviewed the concerns raised by two of the candidates related to the voting process but determined there was no evidence of security breaches, said a press release on Friday.

Rita Bessant, a former executive committee member of the PC party local riding association, feels Kenney is likely to be the next leader but she is disenfranchised regarding the UCP.

“I have not renewed my membership since the formation of the UCP and that was after 30 years of supporting the PC party,” said Bessant. “I feel strongly this was not the way to represent our province.”

Ian Parkinson has cast his ballot and thinks Kenney will be elected on the first ballot.

Blake Pedersen, former Medicine Hat MLA under Wildrose and then the PCs, says he voted for Doug Schweitzer because he is the most moderate option of the three candidates. He suggests if Jason Kenney doesn’t win on the first ballot, Brian Jean is likely to win on the second ballot.

“I see more secondary votes for Brian coming from Doug supporters than for Jason,” said Pedersen.

Regardless of who the new leader is there will be considerable challenges ahead.

He will need to “establish a grassroots-driven effective alternative to the NDP,” said Parkinson. He will also have to “demonstrate that the UCP is greater than its parts and build a platform for the next election that strikes a chord with most Albertans.

“The eventual leader will have to deal with the ongoing display of decedent and lack of a realistic knowledge of what Albertans really want,” said Bessant. “The days of Ivory towers are over I hope they eventually see this also the conflicting policies that have not amalgamated.”

The early indication is the UCP will be heavily influenced by a vocal social conservative base with a strong connection to Wildrose policy and constitution no matter who wins, said Pedersen, who thinks politics will remain unsettled in Alberta for some time.

20
-19