CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

51.4 per cent voted yes

Kenney steps down after narrowly winning leadership review

May 18, 2022 | 6:49 PM

Jason Kenney has stepped down as United Conservative Party leader and premier of Alberta after narrowly surviving a contentious leadership review.

The United Conservative Party just released the results of mail-in ballots via a livestream.

Close to 60,000 eligible party members received ballots with one simple question: “Do you approve of the current leader? Yes or No?”

Kenney received the support of 51.4 per cent of those who voted. According to returning officer Rick Orman there were 34,298 votes cast – 17,638 for and 16,660 against his leadership.

“This result is not what I hoped for, or frankly what I expected,” Jason Kenney said moments after the results were announced.

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He said with the slim victory he doesn’t feel he has the mandate to remain leader anymore. Kenney previously indicated he would stay on as leader with even 50 per cent plus one vote.

READ MORE: Jason Kenney joins list of past Alberta premiers to resign amid party strife

Kenney says the past two years were deeply divisive, but he hopes the party will move on from that division.

“While we have our internal differences, we must remember our shared values that unite us as conservatives,” he said.

A party caucus meeting is scheduled for tomorrow where it’s likely an interim leader will be chosen.

READ MORE: ‘A fine leader’: Reaction to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigning after leadership review

The leadership review was a contentious one, with Kenney facing criticism from a number of caucus members. Among the fiercest voices was Brian Jean. The former Wildrose Party leader was sworn-in this spring as the UCP member for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche. He won a byelection in which he campaigned against Kenney’s leadership.

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes has also been a thorn in Kenney’s side. Barnes told CHAT News earlier this week changing the vote from an in-person one to a mail-in ballot shows Kenney was already losing confidence in his level of support among party members.

“I’m seeing the leadership review results as insignificant,” Barnes said. “Again, another poll just came out showing that he’s polling at the same low levels of popularity in Alberta as Justin Trudeau and Jason Kenney needs to resign.”