Although today marks the first official opening day of the Progressive Conservative leadership race, the unofficial race began months ago.
In early June, Jason Kenney confirmed he would be leaving federal politics to return to his Alberta roots and try to unite the right and defeat the NDP.
Since Kenney’s announcement, three other contenders have thrown their hats in the ring and speculation is still surrounding many other notable Albertans.
Thomas Lukaszuk, St. Albert resident and former MLA for Edmonton-Castle Downs, said he is still considering running but will likely not make a final decision until the convention in Red Deer, taking place in early November.
“I have not ruled-out running. However, I want to be certain that PC party's current membership want to maintain their moderate progressive conservative values as opposed to compromising on what's the essence of the party in favour of unifications of convenience thrust upon them,” Lukaszuk said in an email. “This will become evident at the Red Deer policy convention.”
Lukaszuk says that the unite the right movement is “Prentice-like opportunism singularly focused forcing a win as opposed to earning one.”
The former MLA is not the only potential leader who rejects the plan to unify the Alberta’s right-wing.
Donna Kennedy-Glans, Richard Starke and Byron Nelson who all officially launched their candidacy this week, agree that attempting to merge right-wing Alberta may not be the best path to earning back the trust of Albertans.
Starke, Progressive Conservative house leader, wants to focus his efforts on re-energizing the Progressive Conservative party and creating a “credible centrist option to Rachel Notley and the NDP.”
The path to combine the two parties is risky, Starke said, and if the process falters at any stage, the election would be handed to Notley and the NDP.
One of Starke’s focal points is returning Alberta to “a land of prosperity” and to prevent youth from leaving the province for opportunities elsewhere.
“We are seeing policy changes being put in place that are fundamentally changing an environment that has always encouraged business activity, job growth and has encouraged opportunity right across the board and we are not seeing that now.”
Former cabinet minister Kennedy-Glans has a plan to help rebuild the trust of those who left the PC party for the Wildrose, and to win back voters through strong leadership.
“They went because they were frustrated with governance,” Kennedy-Glans said about those who left the PCs for the Wildrose. “Probably not with policies but with governance. We are working on rebuilding trust in the PC party.”
To earn back trust, she has put forward a five-step plan to win back Albertans that involves appealing to the grassroots of the party.
“I’m not a top down politician,” Kennedy-Glans said. “I really believe in the voice of citizens.”
Byron Nelson, a lawyer and 25-year member of the PC party, agrees with getting back to the grassroots of the party. Nelson canvassed for the last election and got to listen to the grassroots members of the party.
“What is being proposed – and I have all the world of respect for Jason Kenney – but he is proposing a top-down plan would be a leader driven process,” Nelson said.
Nelson wants to see the party focus on winning the 2019 election and not looking back at the 2015 election.
“The message I think that we got on May 5, 2015 was that we need a fresh approach and that we were doing things wrong,” Nelson said. “I’m putting my name forward because there is only one way that I’m aware to have a fresh approach and that is to have fresh leadership.”
Kenney, a former federal conservative MP and cabinet minister for Stephen Harper, stopped by St. Albert in September on his provincial tour. His pitch involves merging the right-wing Albertans through a ‘five-point unity plan’ that includes a referendum of grassroots members to approve the merger.
Kenney gave up his seat on the federal level to commit his time to defeating the NDP in his home province. Although he is proposing a merger between the two parties, he doesn’t necessarily see himself as the leader of the new party, and would leave that up to the party members to decide.
“I think it would be wrong, presumptuous and arrogant of me, as a candidate, to begin dictating the details of policy of a party which does not yet exist before the grassroots members have had any input, particularly for a platform for an election that is three years from now,” Kenney said.
Despite disagreeing on the approach, all four candidates agree that the sluggish economy is one of the biggest issues facing Albertans right now and want to return the province back to prosperity.
The candidates will compete until March 2017 when they will face off in a delegated contest at the leadership election in Calgary.
