Barnes won’t seek UCP leadership

By James Tubb on June 21, 2022.

COLLIN GALLANT

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com
Twitter: CollinGallant

Drew Barnes will not run for the United Conservative Party leadership and may not be able to seek re-election as a UCP candidate, the News has learned.

The independent MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat announced Friday he would not join the race to replace Jason Kenney, calling high entry fees antithetical to his calls to open up the party to “grassroots” conversations.

On Monday the local UCP riding association announced it is openly seeking a candidate to run in 2023 and hopes to have one in place by end of summer.

That schedule would exclude Barnes from contention after questions of whether the now independent MLA held valid party membership at deadline of six months previous to the nomination.

“We’re trying to get back to normal, and we realize there has been a split,” said Alan Rose, the recent mayoral candidate who became the president of the riding association on May 28. He said his goal is to bring party members together in a spirited nomination contest and unite heading toward next year’s expected general election.

Barnes told the News that all nominations should be delayed until after a new leader is selected, but he is considering options to run again. 

“It’s best to hold off the nomination for Cypress-Medicine Hat until after the leadership race,” he wrote in a statement to the News. “I’ve been clear that I will rejoin the UCP if the process and party are fair, transparent and focused on Albertans.

“Otherwise, I’m considering joining another party that will focus on making Alberta the freest, most prosperous place. I am also considering running as an independent.”

Barnes, a three-term MLA who ran for the UCP in 2019, has sat as an independent MLA since he we removed from the UCP caucus last year after criticizing leader Jason Kenney.

Party rules state candidates must be party members for at least six months prior to the contest, but Rose says it appears Barnes only renewed his membership in March, apparently to be able to vote in the party’s leadership review.

Rose said he made his plan clear to Barnes this spring, and now is the time to get on with finding a candidate.

“I’ve reached out … I don’t care who becomes the representative for Medicine Hat as long as they are fighting for Medicine Hat and have the party’s values,” said Rose. “We’ve had a couple people express interest. We need to get away from the negatives.”

Barnes said the leadership race could prove crucial for many potential candidates and Alberta voters.

“The UCP has not met expectations,” he said Monday. “The current leadership race may be an opportunity for the UCP to actually listen to and represent Alberta families.”

The leadership review resulted in a 52 per cent approval rate for Kenney, causing him to step down, though he remains leader and premier while the party selects a new leader.

Barnes has said he would consider rejoining the party caucus — a decision left to a caucus vote — but not as long as Kenney remained in place.

Rose said he hopes the process will also reinvigorate local party members for not only the nomination, but also the leadership contest, which will conclude in early October. To be eligible to vote for leader, a person must join or renew their membership by Aug. 12.

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