EDMONTON – For the third time in eight years, the Alberta Progressive Conservatives will be on the hunt for a new leader, following Premier Alison Redford’s resignation, which takes effect on Sunday.
While several names have been thrown around — including former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel and former leadership hopeful Jim Dinning — many politicians say it’s simply too soon to speculate.
“It’s too early to be talking about this,” said Justice Minister Jonathan Denis. “I want to thank the premier for her service today, and I am going to be going back to my constituency tomorrow to talk to a lot of my key supporters and we’ll go from there.”
“It’s too early to think about it, and definitely too early to talk about it,” added Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Thomas Lukaszuk. “The fact is, we still have a premier until Sunday, we have an interim premier that will be sworn in, the party has to make some very crucial decisions on what the process will be for the selection of a new leader.”
“It’s too early to even think about those things,” said the Honourable Diana McQueen, Minister of Energy. “What I’m concentrating on is doing the job at hand for my constituents and as the Minister of Energy.”
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Thursday morning, Deputy Premier Dave Hancock was named interim leader of the PC Party. The party will now have four to six months to elect a new leader.
READ MORE: Dave Hancock will serve as Alberta’s interim premier
While many say it’s too soon to name names, Redford’s former campaign manager says it doesn’t matter who the party elects. Speaking candidly to Global News, Stephen Carter said the PC Party may be too far gone.
“I’m really concerned about how the leadership is going to unfold. In the next six months we’ll elect a leader, but I’m not sure that that leader is going to be able to move the party at all.
“I think the Progressive Conservative Party as we know it has done its time.”
Watch below: Stephen Carter speaks about Redford’s resignation
While time will only tell who will become the PC’s next leader, those inside the legislature say they’ll have a big job ahead of them.
“Obviously we need somebody that’s going to be a team player and that’s going to involve every single one of us as caucus members,” said Neil Brown, MLA for Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill.
“I think they need somebody who can really drive change and support that,” said Independent MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans, who recently left the PC caucus. “I think they need a changed leader, somebody who will implement changes.”
READ MORE: Another Alberta MLA resigns from PC Caucus
The process has been altered since Redford was elected leader of the PC Party. According to a recent update to party rules, if no candidate earns a majority vote in the first ballot, only the first and second candidate will move on to the second ballot vote. Previously, three candidates would have moved on.
If those rules were in place in 2006, Ed Stelmach would have been eliminated after the first ballot. In the 2011 leadership race, Redford would have only faced Mar in the second ballot.
With files from Fletcher Kent, Global News.
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