EDMONTON – The on-going power struggle in the Alberta Conservative Party continued Saturday in Calgary, and it appears Premier Alison Redford is still firmly in charge.
Premier Redford attended a meeting of Alberta Tory executives at the Clarion Hotel in Calgary.
“The premier did an excellent job. She didn’t back away from any of the rather hard hitting questions that she was asked, and she was very frank with us, as we were very frank with her,” said Jim McCormick, PC Party president.
McCormick called it a wide-ranging “no holds barred” meeting. The questions ranged from the $45,000 in travel expenses the premier announced this week she would reimburse, to accusations of bullying made by Calgary MLA Len Webber who on Friday announced his departure from caucus.
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“This has not been a highlight of a week for behavior or very mature conversation on a lot of levels,” said Redford.
“I think a lot of people were quite emotional, probably said a lot of things that they regret, and I think it’s time for us to move and start talking about what matters to Albertans which is the future of the province.”
But at least one constituency president would like the PC Party to move on without Redford as leader.
On Friday, Steve Robson, the head of a PC riding association in northeast Edmonton, called for Redford’s resignation.
“It appears to me from a number of sources that Alison Redford is not the least bit interested in input from elected MLAs or what the constituents of the MLA’s have to say,” said Robson.
Redford says she is listening to what people are saying.
“I work very hard to work with people, to bring people together and I’ll continue to do that. Whether that means everyone is going to have an opinion of me that is exactly the same, I can’t comment on that. I mean, we don’t agree on absolutely everything, but I do my best every day.”
Saturday’s meeting didn’t produce any requests for the premier’s resignation.
“The premier got a standing ovation. Absolutely everybody was on their feet. This conversation that we had today was incredible,” said McCormick.
With files from Global News Carolyn Kury De Castillo
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