It’s time for a change in Alberta politics.
That was the message brought to a meeting held at the MacKenzie Conference Centre on Tuesday evening.
A crowd of about 80 people heard speakers Angela Pitt and Vitor Marciano encourage those in attendance to buy memberships in the United Conservative Party and take part in an upcoming leadership review with the aim of removing party leader and premier Jason Kenney.
Pitt is the UCP MLA for Airdrie East. She was elected in 2015 as a member of the Wildrose Party before it merged with the Progrssive Conservatives to form the UCP. She said the party’s current leadership was out of touch with its grassroots.
“It’s been a really frustrating last couple of years as a sitting member of the current government,” she said. “It feels like nobody is listening. Nobody is being heard.”
“When I go to my own government I don’t have a voice … This is not the way it’s supposed to be.”
She said that public participation was vital to the democratic process and too often important decisions, including who is chosen to run for elected office, were made by a small group of people with their own interests. By removing Kenney at the April 9 leadership review Albertans could send a message that governments must be responsible to the people.
“Low levels of civic engagement gets you bad government,” she said. “Well guess what, we’ve got some bad governments across Canada right now.”
Marciano, who has extensive experience with both the Wildrose Party and the Conservative Party of Canada, said he expected “five, six or seven thousand Albertans” to vote in leadership review, which could trigger the end of Kenney’s time as premier.
“If he doesn’t get 50 percent of the vote, he’s not the leader,” he said, adding that by taking part in the process Albertans could “get the attention of politicians in a way they cannot discount.”
To date three people, former Wildrose leaders Brian Jean and Danielle Smith, and former MLA Rob Anderson, have expressed interest in seeking the UCP leadership should Kenney be forced to step aside. Marciano said he anticipated several more would come forward if Kenney loses the vote.
That vote will be held at the Cambridge Red Deer Hotel and Conference Centre. Party members will vote in person using a paper ballot on the question “Do you approve of the current leader.”
“It comes down to who actually shows up,” said Pitt.
