Broadly speaking, the anti\u002DKenney strategy failed this weekend, but his adversaries have roughly four months to prepare for April\u0027s review, which will hang on…
On Friday night, just hours into the convention, in a corner of a hotel room party, one delegate admitted people were “on edge,” unsure about the state of party unity and of Kenney’s leadership. Those worries, and if a fractious weekend convention would be seen as bellwether of Kenney’s future, was echoed by a number of different attendees — the sort of thing spoken about over late-night drinks, or in the bar or waiting in line for Saturday’s buffet lunch.
Early Saturday, before many had gotten out of bed — let alone showed up to the convention — those vying for positions on the party’s board of directors gave speeches to around 150 party members.Article content But by Saturday evening, Kenney’s people were ebullient: they felt they’d come through the weekend better than unscathed, believing the premier’s keynote address that afternoon had been wonderfully received, with a dozen or so standing ovations and several rounds of applause. They thought it hit the right notes, reminding the party of its accomplishments, offering some contrition where necessary and reminding the party of its common goals.
At worst, there were those at a particularly rambunctious party Friday night hotel-room party who took some mischievous pleasure in disturbing one of Kenney’s senior ministers, who was trying to get some rest down the hall.An effort to run a slate of anti-Kenney candidates for the party’s board of directors also failed.
Broadly speaking, the anti-Kenney strategy failed this weekend, but his adversaries have roughly four months to prepare for April’s review, which will hang on issues of trust, responsiveness to the party’s grassroots and handling the COVID-19 pandemic.Article content The premier also promised that there would be no vaccine passports and that lockdowns wouldn’t come back. And then there were, and then they did. In a party that’s already divided over the questions of handling COVID-19, these missteps stung.Article content
There’s the widespread sense outside the party — and even within some corners of the party — that Kenney’s leadership is finished, and it’s just a matter of time until he goes.Article content Another Kenney loyalist, who is close to the premier, said the pandemic has been rough on his popularity, because he’s at his best when he’s on the event circuit, engaging with the membership, drumming up enthusiasm, breaking down the silos that built among constituency associations over the pandemic.Gordon Clark, from Calgary, has been involved with conservative politics since the Reform Party days, and was one of the Kenney supporters in the room this weekend.
In a sign that the question remains very open, a number of names of potential successors were floating around the Grey Eagle this weekend. Former Wildrose Party leaders Brian Jean and Danielle Smith have both said they’d be willing to step up if the opportunity presents itself.
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