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Date | October 28, 2017 |
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Convention | BMO Centre Calgary, Alberta |
Won by | Jason Kenney |
Ballots | 1 |
Candidates | 3 |
Entrance Fee | C$95,000 ($20,000 of which is a refundable compliance bond) [1] |
A United Conservative Party leadership election was held in Alberta on October 28, 2017 following votes on July 22, 2017 by memberships of both the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta to merge and form the United Conservative Party. The Unity Agreement between the parties states the leadership election will be held on a One Member One Vote basis. [2]
Both Jason Kenney, leader of the PC Party, and Wildrose leader Brian Jean were expected to stand for leader of the new party, with Jean saying at the press conference that announced the merger agreement: "Clearly we're both running for the leadership of this new party." [3] Former Conservative Party of Canada interim leader Rona Ambrose ruled herself out of consideration. [4]
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Alberta Election Commissioner are investigating allegations that Jason Kenney and his team were involved in orchestrating Jeff Callaway's campaign for the leadership of the United Conservative Party in an attempt to harm Kenney's biggest rival, Brian Jean. Documents obtained by The Toronto Star confirm that Kenney's campaign controlled major aspects of Callaway's campaign, including the providing of strategic plans, attack ads, speeches, and talking points intended to discredit Jean. These documents have since been handed over the election commissioner, according to Callaway's former campaign manager, Cameron Davies. Davies also said that Kenney had attended a meeting at Callaway's house in July 2017 where the "kamikaze campaign" was discussed and that Kenney had first-hand knowledge of this strategy. [5]
A leaked document alleged that Jason Kenney's team first approached Derek Fildebrandt in July 2017 about running a "dark-horse" campaign but ultimately decided against working with him. Fildebrandt confirmed this account but stated that it was he who rejected the idea. [6]
An emergency injunction was sought to halt the probe into the financing of Callaway's UCP leadership campaign for the duration of the 2019 Alberta general election, but was denied by Court of Queen's Bench Justice Anne Kirker who ruled it was in the public interest for the investigation to continue. [7]
Callaway, who declared his candidacy on August 10, 2017, only to withdraw on October 4, after the debates but prior to voting, was issued 24 fines totalling $70,000 by the Alberta Election Commissioner on July 18, 2019, during an investigation into allegations that Kenney's leadership team orchestrated Callaway's candidacy in order to attack to attack Jean and that Callaway's campaign was funded by illegal donations. [8] While, Alberta elections commissioner Lorne Gibson has led to fines against 15 people totalling $207,223. [9] [10]
Brian Jean, 54, was the final Leader of the Wildrose Party (2015–2017). Jean is currently the MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin (2015–present). He served as MP for Athabasca (2004–2006) and Fort McMurray—Athabasca (2006–2014), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (2006–2011), and Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta (2015–2017). Jean was elected Wildrose leader after previous leader Danielle Smith and eight other Wildrose MLAs crossed the floor to join the PC government of then-Premier Jim Prentice.
Jason Kenney, 49, was the final Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (2017). He served as MP for Calgary Southeast (1997–2015) and Calgary Midnapore (2015–2016), and was Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2008–2013), Minister of Employment and Social Development (2013–2015), Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (2013–2015), and Minister of National Defence (2015) under the Harper government. Kenney was elected PC leader on a promise to merge the PC and Wildrose parties.
Doug Schweitzer, 38, is a Calgary lawyer and longtime PC party member. He served as CEO of the Manitoba PC Party (2008–2009) and campaign manager of Jim Prentice's successful PC leadership campaign in 2014. [57]
Jeff Callaway, 40, was formerly President of the Wildrose Party (2008–2010; 2014–2017) and 2015 Wildrose candidate for Calgary-North West. He is currently a Calgary-based senior investment advisor. [47]
Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
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Jason Kenney | 35,623 | 61.2% |
Brian Jean | 18,336 | 31.5% |
Doug Schweitzer | 4,273 | 7.3% |
Total | 58,232 | 100% |
Jason Thomas Kenney is a former Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022, and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Calgary-Lougheed from 2017 until 2022. Kenney was the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party before the party merged with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP. Prior to entering Alberta provincial politics, he served in various cabinet posts under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015.
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta was a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta that existed from 1905 to 2020. The party formed the provincial government, without interruption, from 1971 until the party's defeat in the 2015 provincial election under premiers Peter Lougheed, Don Getty, Ralph Klein, Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford, Dave Hancock and Jim Prentice. At 44 years, this was the longest unbroken run in government at the provincial or federal level in Canadian history.
Paul Hinman is a Canadian politician and businessman who is currently the leader of the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition. He was the leader of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta from 2020 to 2022, and was the leader of the Wildrose Alliance (2008–2009) and Alberta Alliance Party (2005–2008). He served two terms as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner and then from 2009 to 2012 in Calgary-Glenmore.
Brian Michael Jean is a Canadian politician who has previously served as Alberta's and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development. On June 9, 2023 Jean was appointed as Alberta's Minister of Energy and Minerals, with Larry Kaumeyer as his Deputy-Minister, the former CEO of Ducks Unlimited. He has served as member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche since March 16, 2022. He was leader of the Opposition and the last leader of the Wildrose Party from 2015 to 2017 before its merger into the United Conservative Party (UCP). Jean was a member of Parliament (MP) with the Conservative Party from 2004 to 2014 before entering provincial politics.
The Wildrose Party was a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. The party was formed by the merger in early 2008 of the Alberta Alliance Party and the unregistered Wildrose Party of Alberta. The wild rose is Alberta's provincial flower.
Marlaina Danielle Smith is a Canadian politician, former lobbyist, and former columnist and media personality who has been serving as the 19th premier of Alberta and leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) since October 2022.
Chestermere-Rocky View was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first-past-the-post method of voting from 2012 to 2019.
Derek Alexander Gerhard Fildebrandt is a Canadian politician and media executive. He is the publisher, president and chief executive officer of the Western Standard New Media Corp. He is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
Angela Pitt is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015 Alberta general election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Airdrie. She was elected under the banner of the Wildrose Party, which then merged with the Progressive Conservative Party to form the United Conservative Party (UCP) in July 2017. She serves as the UCP Deputy House Leader. On June 20, 2018, Angela Pitt won the UCP nomination for the riding of Airdrie-East with 71% of the vote, contested by sports broadcaster Roger Millions. April 16, 2019, Pitt was re-elected in the 2019 Alberta general election, representing the Airdrie-East riding under the United Conservative Party.
Jason John Nixon is a Canadian politician and the current Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services of Alberta. He is member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.
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The 29th Alberta Legislative Assembly was constituted after the general election on May 5, 2015. The New Democrats, led by Rachel Notley, won a majority of seats and formed the government. The Wildrose Party, which won the second most seats, formed the official opposition until July 2017, when it merged with the Progressive Conservatives, to become the United Conservative Party, which then became the official opposition.
The 2017 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election was held on March 18, 2017, in Calgary. It chose Jason Kenney as the successor to former Alberta Premier and Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leader Jim Prentice. He resigned after the party was defeated in the May 5, 2015 general election. The party had governed the province for 44 consecutive years. Prentice had been elected leader eight months prior to his defeat.
The 2019 Alberta general election was held on April 16, 2019, to elect 87 members to the 30th Alberta Legislature. In its first general election contest, the Jason Kenney-led United Conservative Party (UCP) won 54.88% of the popular vote and 63 seats, defeating incumbent Premier Rachel Notley. The governing Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) were reduced to 24 seats and formed the Official Opposition. The United Conservative Party was formed in 2017 from a merger of the Progressive Conservative Party and the Wildrose Party after the NDP's victory in the 2015 election ended nearly 44 years of Progressive Conservative rule.
By-elections to the 29th Alberta Legislature were held to fill vacancies in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta after the 2015 election. Two by-elections were held to fill vacancies in the 29th Alberta Legislature.
The United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCP) is a conservative political party in the province of Alberta, Canada. It was established in July 2017 as a merger between the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta and the Wildrose Party. When established, the UCP immediately formed the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The UCP won a majority mandate in the 2019 Alberta general election to form the government of Alberta. The party won a renewed majority mandate in the 2023 Alberta general election under the leadership of Danielle Smith.
Laila Goodridge is a Canadian politician in Alberta, Canada, who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake from the Conservative Party since 2021.
The 2023 Alberta general election was held on May 29, 2023. Voters elected the members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The United Conservative Party under Danielle Smith, the incumbent Premier of Alberta, was re-elected to a second term with a reduced majority. Across the province, 1,763,441 valid votes were cast in this election.
The following lists contain the endorsements given to candidates for the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election.
The 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election was held on October 6 in Alberta to select a new leader of the United Conservative Party and Premier of Alberta. The leadership election was triggered following the May 18 leadership review in which the United Conservative Party membership voted 51.4 per cent in support of incumbent Premier Jason Kenney's leadership. In Kenney's speech following the announcement of the results, Kenney issued his resignation as leader of the United Conservative Party. Nominations for leadership of the United Conservative Party closed on July 20, with seven candidates meeting the nomination criteria. Party members selected their preference for leader using instant-runoff voting between September 2 and October 3.