Sask. premier calls Jason Kenney's resignation a 'loss'
Saskatchewan’s premier says Jason Kenney’s resignation from his post in Alberta is a “loss.”
The Alberta premier announced he would be stepping down on Wednesday, after a slim majority of approval was revealed following his United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership review.
“Jason Kenney is a very, very strong leader. He’s achieved a number of things he set out to achieve in a very short period of time, on behalf of Albertans,” Premier Scott Moe said following Question Period Thursday.
“This is a loss of a good leader, and an individual that has been a very, very capable and competent politician for decades now, and I wouldn’t think that we’ve seen the last of Jason Kenney by any stretch.”
Kenney received 51.4 per cent approval from UCP members. Exactly 34,298 members voted in the review.
"While 51 per cent of the vote passes the constitutional threshold of a majority, it clearly is not adequate support to continue on as leader," Kenney said Wednesday.
"I'm sorry, but friends, I truly believe that we need to move forward united. We need to put the past behind us, and a large number of our members have asked for an opportunity to clear the air through a leadership election."
Moe and Kenney were two of five Canadian Conservative politicians featured on the cover of a 2018 issue of MacLean’s magazine titled “The Resistance” that focused on their fight against the Liberal government’s carbon tax plan.
The group also included Ontario Premier Doug Ford, former Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and former Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer.
Moe said he does not expect significant changes to carbon tax policy in Alberta when the UCP elects a new leader.
“If there’s a change of leadership within the UCP party in Alberta, I don’t think that changes the policy with respect to carbon taxation, regulations around getting their product to market and most certainly I don’t think the policy changes at all,” Moe said.
Moe thanked his friend in a tweet on Wednesday, shortly after Kenney made his announcement.
With files from CTV News Edmonton
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.