Key takeaways:
- The New United Conservative Party leader will become the region’s next premier.
- Kenney intends to remain in the top job till UCP members elect a new leader.
Travis Toews desires to be Alberta’s next premier.
On Tuesday, Toews left as the region’s finance minister and established his campaign to lead the United Conservative Party into the next regional election.
Although others have signaled running, Toews is the first contender to officially enter the race as the party readies to substitute outgoing Premier Jason Kenney.
“What laments me most is the division created in our communities — in businesses, churches, families, and politics,” Toews stated in an online campaign video. “Right now, we ought to come together as a movement and a region.”
Kenney intends to stay in the top job till UCP members elect a new leader. The party has appointed a leadership committee to determine the rules, entry fee, and the timeline for the race.
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Speaking at an irrelevant press conference Tuesday, Kenney said Toews had presented a letter that morning leaving his post as finance minister and president of the treasury board.
“He’s done a great job in that position,” Kenney said. “I will not be supporting any candidate for leadership. I think it’s quite normal for a leader to avoid supporting candidates.”
Kenney said he hopes other ministers leave from cabinet soon as they consider running to replace him as the leader.
He said he intends to elect interim ministers “until I know what the entire lay of the land is,” then do a proper cabinet shuffle. According to the Elections Alberta website, Toews officially registered for the campaign on May 30.
A chartered accountant and herder, the MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti was first appointed in April 2019 and has served as finance minister since.
Source – cbc.ca
