Brian Jean pursues UCP nomination for Fort McMurray byelection, says some in party ‘will want to stop me’
The previous chief of Alberta’s Wildrose Celebration who misplaced the 2017 UCP management race to Jason Kenney, introduced on social media Wednesday night time that he’s pursuing the UCP nomination for the yet-to-be scheduled byelection in Fort McMurray/Lac La Biche.
“I’ll want your assist,” Brian Jean stated in a post on Facebook. “The NDP gained’t need me to be within the legislature. Some within the UCP will wish to cease me as properly.
“In the event you stay in Fort McMurray or Lac La Biche or the communities in between I’ll want your assist.”
International Information reached out to Jean for an interview however he declined to talk on Wednesday night time.
Jean prompt if one thing doesn’t change, “Rachel Notley will win the subsequent election with an amazing majority.”
“That can be dangerous for Alberta,” he stated.
Watch beneath: Some International Information movies about Brian Jean.
The Fort McMurray seat was left vacant when Laila Goodridge determined to run for the Conservative Celebration of Canada on this summer season’s federal election.
Jean stated he has filed papers with Elections Alberta to pursue the nomination.
The transfer comes on the heels of stories that the NDP continues to lift more cash from its supporters than the UCP does from its supporters, and as Premier Kenney continues to face criticism from members of his get together for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to face leadership review in spring: UCP president
Kenney will face a management overview within the spring. The overview was introduced in September as Alberta battled a fourth wave of the pandemic, which led Kenney to belatedly launched new measures to curb the unfold of the virus.
Watch beneath: Some International Information movies about Premier Jason Kenney and criticism he has confronted from some UCP members.
Main as much as the announcement, a variety of constituency associations had been calling for an early get together overview and vote on Kenney’s management, in line with Joel Mullan, the UCP’s vice-president of coverage.
Jean has been overtly essential of Kenney’s management. In a column printed by Postmedia earlier this 12 months, he stated the premier’s “combat everybody” strategy is just not getting the job achieved for Albertans on essential points, together with power and federal relations.
READ MORE: Brian Jean urges Alberta premier to ‘fire yourself’ from intergovernmental post
The 2017 management race that noticed Jean lose to Kenney continues to be investigated by the RCMP after allegations of wrongdoing have been raised.
Alberta’s Election Commissioner has levied a number of fines towards a number of individuals in reference to the race.
Jeff Callaway, one other management candidate, has been dogged by allegations his was a kamikaze marketing campaign with the only real function of concentrating on Brian Jean, Kenney’s foremost opponent within the race.
Callaway in the end dropped out of the race and threw his assist behind Kenney, who later turned chief after which premier.
Emails obtained by International Information in 2019 counsel Kenney staffers supplied strategic course, assault advertisements, talking notes, speeches and media assist to the Callaway marketing campaign.
All through the 2019 Alberta basic election marketing campaign, Kenney denied involvement within the scheme.
“There was workers speaking on communications materials and stuff like that,” Kenney informed International Information Radio in March 2019 whereas talking about his marketing campaign workers’s dealings with members of Callaway’s management marketing campaign. “This isn’t in the least uncommon that campaigns will talk.”
READ MORE: 2nd fine in 1 week issued in relation to Jeff Callaway’s UCP leadership bid
Kenney has additionally vehemently denied that he helped to finance Callaway’s marketing campaign in any method.
–With information from International Information’ Adam MacVicar and The Canadian Press’ Dean Bennett
© 2021 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
