Jason Kenney sidesteps war of words on rumoured Alberta PC leadership bid

JasonKenney, the Conservative MP who has upended right-wing politics in Alberta with thesuggestion he's considering a run for the leadership of the PC Party, isn't getting drawn into a war of words on his ambitions.

Some party members are nonetoopleased at the prospect of Kenney as their leader, particularly since the former federal cabinet ministerhas made it clear he would try to unitetheright in the province.

Kenney was in Calgary Tuesday night speaking at an event hostedby Tribute to Liberty, a charity group that is raising money to create a national memorialto the victims of communism.

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Thomas Lukaszuk, who lost a leadership bid against anotherformer federalminister,Jim Prentice,said there should be restrictions on who can run to lead a party.

He said Kenney's politics don't align with the PCs and the MP for Calgary-Midnapore supported the Wildrose Party in the last provincial election.

There's also the issue of taking the helm of a party just to destroy it.

"Why would you want to join a party that just a few weeks ago in Red Deer almost unanimously voted not to enter into any merger negotiations, on a platform to literally blow up and merge with Wildrose, when even Wildrose doesn't want to be a part of that," said Lukaszuk.

Federal merger

Despite dodging questions about whether he will enter provincial politics, Kenney has made it clear he wants to see a unified right wing in Alberta, modelled on the merger of the federal Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance.

"When we made that coalition, there were people at the very margins who didn't feel comfortable in it, that's fine, but at the end of the day we won three elections and in the last election we won over 60 per cent of the vote in Alberta," said Kenney on Tuesday.

Kenney would not respond to Lukaszuk'scriticism orsimilar comments made previously by MLA Sandra Jansen,saying he wouldn't "entertain all these hypotheticals."

But Lukaszuk wasn't pullingany punches.

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"My question is, what is it about federal Conservative cabinet ministers who think that they can come into Alberta and win premiership of this province, not based on ideas or platforms or inspirational plans for this province, but simply on creating a situation where you huddle up enough numbers and do floor crossings and mergers just to become a leader for the sake of being a leader of this province," he said, unable to resisttaking at stab at his former leadership opponent.

The Alberta Tories have been without a permanent leader since the party was swept from power last spring by Rachel Notley's NDP.

Former provincial cabinet minister Ric McIver is serving as the interim leader. The party will choose a new leader early next year at a delegated convention.

BothMcIverand Calgary MLA and former cabinet ministerSandraJansenare reported to be considering bids for the leadership.

Last weekJansensaid she would leavethe party ifKenneybecame leader.

Wildrose leadership bid?

Political scientist Duanne Bratt said it's not clearKenneyis up to, but speculates a Kenney run for the PCs could spook Wildrose members into calling for new leadership.

"He's taking this pretty seriously, and I wonder if his announcements and people around him, if it's really about running for the PC leadership or it'sabout a draft-JasonKenney movement in the WildroseParty," he said.

Bratt said Kenney would divide the PC Party if heruns, withmore progressive elements abandoning the party, as Jansen has already threatened to do.

• Sandra Jansen threatens to quit if Kenney becomes leader

"Don't underestimate Kenney's organizational skills. He is very formidable at that, but this is a very tough nut to crack," said Bratt.

Perhaps hinting at those organizational skills, and the people needed to help mount a successful campaign, Kenneysaid something needs to change for the Conservatives to form a government in Alberta.

"Most of the folks who helped to elect the federal Conservative MPs in Alberta have been sitting out provincial politics in the recent past because they're frustrated with this division. They don't see it serving any useful purpose except electing the NDP."

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