Expert: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney steps down as UCP leader

Premier Jason Kenney threw Alberta politics into a tailspin on May 18 when he narrowly won a United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership review vote only to announce he was quitting the top job. Kenney said anger from party and caucus members over decisions he made to limit personal liberties during the COVID-19 pandemic led to open criticism of his leadership and ultimately the underwhelming vote of support in the review. (Global News)

Here is an expert from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:

Daniel Béland, James McGill Professor, Department of Political Science and Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada

“The resignation of Jason Kenney and the outcome of the forthcoming UCP leadership race could have a strong political impact well beyond Alberta, especially as far as intergovernmental relations are concerned. Alberta is the fourth most populous province in Canada, but the Trudeau government only holds a couple of seats in the province, where the federal Liberals remain unpopular. Will the next UCP Premier mobilize their base against Ottawa ahead of the next Alberta elections? This is a prospect the Trudeau government is likely to be preparing for.”

Daniel Béland is the Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada and a James McGill Professor in the Department of Political Science. He specializes in the fields of Canadian and comparative politics, as well as the study of public policy, including social policy.

daniel.beland [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)