The party announced its rules and procedures for its leadership race to replace Prime Minister Jason Kenney on Tuesday. Kenney announced his intention to step down last month following a leadership review in which he received a 51.4% approval vote. He remains party leader and prime minister until a replacement is elected. A new leader is due to be elected on October 6, following a vote by mail. Party members will also be able to vote in person in one of the five constituencies set up across the province. The application deadline is July 20. Eight people have already submitted their names for the competition, but the party said no one will be a formal candidate until they meet certain criteria, such as:
Paying an entrance ticket $ 150,000. Payment of a refundable compliance deposit of $ 25,000. Completion of a complete questionnaire of candidates. Gathering at least 1,000 signatures, with 200 from each of the party’s five provincial districts.
The rules also stipulate that all leadership contestants must participate in all discussions organized by the UCP otherwise they may face a fine or exclusion. During the 2017 leadership competition, UCP required applicants to pay an entry fee of $ 75,000 and a compliance deposit of $ 20,000. On Tuesday, party officials defended the highest honor for the candidates this time. “We are in government,” said David Price, chairman of the UCP leadership committee. “We are electing not only the next party leader, but the next prime minister of the province.” Price said the $ 150,000 entry fee was calculated to cover the cost of the race. Elections Alberta rules prevent the party from benefiting from the candidates’ fees, but the party has tried to take into account the cost of a vote that may have to accommodate a number of new party members in the coming months. “We did our best to get the right number and it is also a number that will ensure that we have good, credible candidates who show breadth and depth in terms of their campaign teams and in terms of fundraising,” he said. The leadership’s last hope, former child services minister Rebecca Schultz, launched her campaign on Tuesday. Schulz, the MLA for Calgary-Shaw, said she believes the party and the committee have thought a lot about the rules, adding that raising money is an important part of being able to show that a candidate can garner support. “I have always been committed to participating in this race no matter what the rules look like, and so I will work within those parameters,” Schulz said. Calgary-North East MLA Rajan Sawhney, who resigned as Transport Secretary to launch her own leadership campaign on Monday, also issued a statement saying she welcomes the release of the rules and is happy to see the campaign begin. In a statement, Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean said he was happy the rules were finally available, but said he wished they were more in favor of a “wide open” fight. Others who made their name were more vocal about their concerns. Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen said he was concerned that the entry fee would make the party look elitist. He said it was a missed opportunity to connect with the base’s supporters. “I think we could have a significantly smaller buy-in in the beginning and that would allow more people to get involved and give the impression that we’re really listening to the little guy,” Loewen said on Tuesday. Chestermere-Strathmore MP Leela Aheer said she disagreed with the requirement that the party be given access to the candidate’s social media accounts. She said she had many messages from voters and others sent to her in the hope of confidentiality, adding that she did not intend to abide by them. “I would ask all leadership candidates to support me in this because it is imperative that we protect our voters,” he said. According to the policy document published by the contracting party, an application must include “information necessary to provide profile holder access to anyone and all of the applicant’s social media accounts”. UCP spokesman Dave Prisco explained that the request is for the account to be taken over for audit purposes, which he said is also requested during local nomination contests. He said the party does not ask for account passwords. The next provincial elections are scheduled for May 29, 2023.
Cabinet shuffle
With the departures of Schultz’s cabinet and former Transport Minister Rajan Sawhney announcing her campaign on Monday, Kenney has announced temporary replacements. Prasad Panda has been appointed caretaker transport minister and Jason Luan will serve as deputy minister for child services, Kenny said in a statement on Tuesday.
