Jason Kenney resigns as Leader of United Conservative Party

Stating that he will step down and has asked party executives to “clear the air” and hold a Leadership Election at the “earliest opportunity,” Jason Kenney stepped down as Leader of the United Conservative Party tonight. Despite winning 51.4% of support in a Leadership Review vote.

Hydrogen is first on the periodic table and was top of mind for Alberta politicians last week as Edmonton played host to the Canadian Hydrogen Convention and Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity Dale Nally declared it Hydrogen Week. The Premier also used the conference as an opportunity to announce $50M to launch the Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence.

Alberta’s legislature continues to sit with five new government bills tabled in the past week keeping the House busy and hopefully for Premier Kenney, keeping his caucus out of trouble. The Premier has stated that should he win the leadership vote, he will expect caucus unity and “a basic level of professionalism, discipline and unity.”

Two sure bets in Alberta: 1) there will be a spring snow storm, probably a couple days after you change your winter tires, and 2) the political landscape is constantly changing. The past couple of years have shown us that politics is anything but boring in Alberta, and companies are taking note.

Saturday marked three years since the UCP formed government in Alberta. When the legislature resumes sitting on Tuesday, it will be with a new member in their ranks with Brian Jean taking his spot in the legislature as a government caucus member for the first time.

The Alberta Legislature is halfway through a two week constituency break. This weekend was when the in person UCP leadership review was originally set to take place in Red Deer. Instead, a virtual SGM was held on Saturday with the Premier giving a speech to a small room of in person supporters. The Coles Notes of the 45 minute speech boiled down to the Premier saying that he is the only person up to the task of keeping the party united and defeating Rachel Notley. At the end of his speech, he revealed that should he not win the leadership vote (50% plus one) he will step aside for a new leader.

We’ve known for some time that Budget 2022 would stand apart from other budgets, for good or for worse, and it has. Budgets come and go. Few are remembered as turning points, but Budget 2022 is a turning point, no matter your perspective.

Well, we certainly aren’t mailing it in with this lengthy Monday morning edition of the Roundup.

It was a busy and chaotic week in Canadian politics with the Liberal government announcing a confidence and supply deal with the NDP that if held to by both sides will see the Liberals remain in power until 2025 and major policy planks of the NDP platform fulfilled including pharmacare and dental care.

Much like other provincial governments, the Saskatchewan Government presented a better-than-expected fiscal plan for 2022-23. With higher non-renewable resource revenues, increased tax revenue from higher incomes and PST receipts, and real GDP growth projected at 3.7% for 2022, both debt and deficit figures have dramatically improved.

You can never accuse Alberta politics of being uneventful. While the Legislature continues chugging along on week three of a four week stretch, it is certainly not the centre of attention in Alberta politics these days.