WATCH ABOVE: Since Redford stepped down, there have been significant changes in Alberta’s political landscape. Tom Vernon walks us through them.
EDMONTON — Exactly one year has passed since Alison Redford stepped up to a podium in Alberta’s legislature and announced she was stepping down as premier.
The embattled politician was facing allegations of lavish spending and misuse of taxpayer money. Still, the announcement came as a shock to many.
“It just seemed to come out of nowhere,” said Dr. Robert Murray, a political scientist with the Frontier Centre.
“What we were expecting that night was that she would walk down those stairs with Dave Hancock and stay resilient, to say ‘I’m still the head of this party and we’re going to move forward with a majority mandate.'”
Instead, Redford announced she was officially stepping down the following Sunday. Hancock was sworn in as interim premier that same day.
“We can talk about planes, we can talk about expenses, but ultimately it was the fact that she did not have control or the support of her own people.”
“Realistically it was a year ago that her caucus rebelled against her to the point where she had to step down as premier of Alberta,” added Murray.
WATCH: Robert Murray weighs in on the past year in Alberta politics
The resignation set the Progressive Conservative Party into a tailspin. Hancock was tasked with guiding the provincial government and handling the accusations of financial impropriety against Redford.
TIMELINE: A look at recent troubles of former Alberta premier Alison Redford
“When you think of the party at that time, they had to get a handle on not only showing Albertans that they were still fit to govern with the majority mandate and to solidify exactly what it was they were going to do to solidify the place for the party moving forward,” said Murray.
“It became very clear that people wanted change, that the party would have to change.”
On Aug. 6, 2014 interim premier Hancock announced the RCMP would be looking into Redford’s misuse of government planes. That same day Redford announced she was quitting as MLA for Calgary-Elbow.
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Last summer, the PC Party held a leadership race to elect a new premier. Jim Prentice was sworn in as the leader of the Alberta government on Sept. 15, 2014.
“During the Redford era there was a serious separation between the premier’s office and everybody else,” said Murray. “With Jim Prentice it seems to be a very different approach on some level and it seems to be very well received within the party.”
The RCMP investigation into Redford has been closed and there will be no charges.
WATCH: Alison Redford resigns as Alberta premier
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