Former Wildrose leader Brian Jean has officially re-entered Alberta’s ever-convoluted ring of Conservative politicians after securing the United Conservative Party nomination in the northern riding of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche on Sunday.
“I’m very excited. I’m absolutely humbled,” said Jean following the win.
Entering his second stint as MLA, Jean emphasized the need for change and a renewal of the UCP. “I am coming back to Alberta politics to make sure that we solve the issues that we have with this party,” he said.
With over 2000 members across Fort McMurray’s two ridings, Jean noted that the same members who had voted with their feet by leaving the UCP are voting their support by coming back.
“Albertans are looking for hope and change, and I’m the person, I believe, that can bring that,” he said.
“Fort McMurray–Lac La Biche members have given me the mandate to push for the UCP, and I expect that soon my constituents will provide me with a mandate to get Alberta back on track,” wrote Jean on social media. “I will also travel my riding campaigning against the NDP who don’t have the right solutions for Alberta.”
He made it clear the UCP doesn’t belong to him or Premier Jason Kenney. “It doesn’t belong to any individual,” continues Jean, “It belongs to all of us.”
“This is our party. There’s a lot of people that sacrificed a lot to build this party,” he said.
The seat of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche remained vacant since August after UCP MLA Laila Goodridge resigned to run for the federal Conservatives. Jean held the seat previously since 2006, but after losing the UCP leadership race in 2017, he decided to step aside.
Sunday’s nomination win also renewed Jean’s belief that the premier resigning is in the best interest of Alberta. “The only way that we’re going to survive past the next election successfully is if Jason Kenney resigns.”
Though unsurprised by the result, Duane Bratt, a Mount Royal University political science professor, expressed intrigue over how the former Wildrose leader secured the nomination.
“It’s not that he won. It’s that he won while campaigning against the party leader,” said Bratt. “It’s not something you see in Canadian politics.”
He likened Jean’s province tour to a “soap opera” as he expects the candidate to continue drumming up anti-Kenney support in advance of the leadership review on April 9.
Under the province’s elections, laws must be announced by February 15, and voting must occur within 28 days. No date for the by-election has been set as of the time of writing.
“You’re going to have a by-election where no one supports the government,” added Bratt: “It’s wild.”
