By Jessie Weisner

Politician and professor comment on UCP controversy

Dec 7, 2018 | 4:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Alberta’s United Conservative Party has been making headlines for controversial actions, comments, and online posts from its members.

Just this week, an old audio recording leaked of the UCP leader Jason Kenney bragging about overturning a law extending hospital visitation rights to gay couples during the 1980s AIDS epidemic.

Kenney has expressed regret about those comments, and UCP members are backing him up. 

“Jason Kenney, by his words and actions, is clearly supportive of all Albertans having equal rights and equal protection,” says Drew Barnes, UCP MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat.

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However, the party doesn’t seem to be able to escape controversy. 

On Thursday, allegations surfaced that a UCP candidate used fraud, bribery and forgery to win the party’s nomination race in a Calgary riding. The party is now investigating.

The string of missteps isn’t surprising, according to one political analyst. 

“Jason Kenney came in and said he was going to let the party determine the policies, let people in the party determine the policies,” says Jim Groom, political science instructor at Medicine Hat College. “Which means that you are a grassroots party and you’re open to different positions.” 

The UCP’s formed in mid-2017, when the Progressive Conservative and Wild Rose parties merged. 

This created a brand new party, with its own members creating the platform essentially from scratch. 

“Being a new party it does attract folks who are saying ‘I want to get my ideas in, I want to get it expressed, I want to have somebody hear it’,” says Groom. “So you do get the catch-22.”

Since its inception, it’s attracted thousand of members, which Barnes says is the main reason for the number of scandals. 

“I think part of it is we’ve grown to over 140,000 members,” says Barnes. “We’re the biggest political party in all of Canada.”

Despite the fact that the UCP has faced multiple controversial incidents, Groom says Albertans have reduced their support for the NDP and are ready for a change in government. 

He says that’s not out of the ordinary, come election season. 

“I do think the UCP is in the best position and any time you get an incumbent government that’s about to go up for election,” says Groom. “They’re the least popular for a short period of time, almost always.” 

The provincial election is expected to take place in Spring 2019.