01 Apr 2022 • 17 hours ago • 4 minutes reading • 36 Comments Archive photo. Danielle Smith. Photo by David Bloom / Postmedia Archive
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The return of Danielle Smith, a longtime conservative politician and media presenter, to the provincial raid on Friday was no joke on April Fool’s Day, and some observers believe it could cause waves in the United Conservative Party.
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Smith, a former leader of the Wildrose Party, has officially announced her intention to run for the Livingstone-Macleod UCP. He also confirmed that if Prime Minister Jason Kenney failed in his upcoming leadership review, he would look for a job as party leader. It will continue its quest to return to politics regardless of the outcome of the leadership review. Smith is accompanied by another former Wildrose leader, Brian Jean, who openly questions Kenney’s leadership. Laurie Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said Smith should have no problem winning the UCP nomination, as she has a much higher profile than the current Roger Reed. However, he noted that gaining leadership, if a vote were taken, would be much more complicated.
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“The problem for Danielle Smith, who was a problem for Brian Jean, is that they failed to run in the previous election,” Williams said. “So questions arose as to whether he could win this time around.” Williams said both challengers had lost the general election in the past, adding that Jean had lost the election to NDP leader Rachel Notley. Smith lost to the Progressive Conservatives under Allison Redford in 2012. Kenny and the UCP defeated the NDP in 2019 to form the current government. Unite Alberta, a Twitter account run by a former Kenney staffer, similarly criticized the two challengers, breaking their previous election records. “I have always been surprised that two people whose only history is to lose the general election, somehow feel they have all the answers,” the Twitter account wrote.
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I have always been surprised that two people whose only history is to lose the general election, somehow feel they have all the answers.
Well, the general Alberta public is responding to what matters: a great economic recovery that is just beginning! #ableg
– Unite Alberta (@UniteAlberta) April 1, 2022
Speaking at an unrelated press conference on Friday, Kenney said he had been instructed by the loyal party to unite the main Conservatives and avoid any future “lake of fire” episodes.
The Wildrose Party, led by Smith, was ahead of opinion polls ahead of the 2012 election when it was revealed that one of its candidates had posted an anti-gay post on social media last year. Smith did not remove the candidate and the Progressive Conservatives were re-elected for another majority.
“A conservative party was blown up in an election… because of the leadership’s failure to prevent extremists from entering the party ballot,” Kenney said.
“As long as I lead this party, it will be a major conservative party and I welcome voices that disagree with me on a whole range of policy issues.”
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Smith said she disagreed with Kenney’s leadership on a number of issues, including characterizing those she disagreed with as “crazy,” as she did in a recording of a group meeting that leaked to the CBC. He also expressed concern that Kenney had betrayed the party base by canceling the April 9 special general assembly and transferring the leadership review only to ballot papers by mail. Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said he was surprised to hear Smith mention the party base as he has luggage to go against a party’s wishes. Smith stepped down from the legislature in 2014 leaving the Wildrose Party, when she was the leader of the official opposition, and joined the Progressive Conservatives under Jim Prentice. She then lost her candidacy in the next election to another Progressive Conservative candidate, who lost to a Wildrose opponent in the general election.
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“I immediately had flashbacks to 2014. Criticizing Kenney’s betrayal of the base members is absolutely accurate, but he’s probably not the best person to say that,” Bratt said. Smith said Friday that she had time to think about that decision and said she regrets going to the floor. Bratt said the apology may not be enough to win over voters if he continues to be a leader. He said that given the new challenge for Kenney as well as the recent changes in the leadership review, there are no “possible scenarios” for where the party is going. Melanee Thomas, an associate professor at the University of Calgary, said Smith is a political careerist who knows when to make a move. Thomas noted that her announcement was different from Jean’s, as she was more silent in her criticism and said she would remain a candidate to join the UCP even if Kenney survived his leadership review.
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“Danielle Smith seems to lack access to the levers of power, as she wants a position that would give her access to the levers of power, which does not seem like the motivation for many people,” Thomas said. Williams said having Smith as a fan could help or hinder anyone who is a UCP leader, as she has a high profile and a well-known voice in the county. Reed issued a statement Friday saying it was the privilege of a lifetime to represent the people of Livingstone-Macleod and said he would be a candidate for the upcoming nomination. “I have worked hard to ensure that my efforts are characterized by integrity and a commitment to being the voice of the Livingstone-Macleod people,” Reid said. “I will run in this candidacy with the same integrity and dedication to representing these same people. I believe that the best campaign is characterized by hard work and honesty “. Jean said in a statement that his return to politics was about renewing the UCP by involving people and bringing in people who are committed to uniting different parts of the party. “I think Danielle Smith’s return to politics is another sign that many Albertans want to renew the UCP and return it to what it should be,” Jean said. [email protected]
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