Calgary Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel Garner says she will not run in the Alberta United Conservative Party leadership race.
In a lengthy Substack post released Thursday, Rempel Garner said the campaign’s logistics are in place, but expressed concern about internal conflict within the UCP.
He compared the UCP caucus to the federal Conservative Party, saying both parties had “disputes” where members were subjected to hours of public scrutiny. The new UCP leader must restore confidence in the party and the caucus must be willing to allow this to happen, he said.
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“Anyone who gets into politics has to be prepared to handle it … But the things I’ve listed above that happen in both provincial and federal parties cross a line. It should never happen in a functional, political or business place. of another kind, ”Rempel Garner wrote.
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“With the UCP caucus, as I am abroad, I do not know where all the painful points of the events of the last two years are. But from what a lot of people have shared with me confidentially, it seems like there are a lot of them and they’re pretty cool.
“And, bluntly, I’m worried about what would happen if I intervened as a leader under the current dynamics of the UCP’s internal caucus, especially considering we should govern as we prepare for a fast-approaching general election.”
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Rempel Garner also compared the tenure of Prime Minister Jason Kenney to that of former Conservative Party leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole, saying he is aware of the troubled work environment that took root long before his posts.
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“The knives were openly open to both of them from day one. While they had significant successes and missteps (who’s not mistaken), in the end they couldn’t lead people who didn’t want to be led by them, ”said Rempel Garner.
“And so the environment deteriorated.”
The announcement comes after it was previously reported that Rempel Garner was considering an offer to become Alberta’s UCP leader.
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Read more: Rempel Garner Says He’s Considering an Offer to Become a UCP Leader in Alberta
It also comes after Patrick Brown’s campaign director Sean Schnell left to help Rempel Garner with his possible offer. Rempel Garner announced last week that she was stepping down as Brown’s national co-chair.
Rempel Garner said she is grateful for the position she currently holds and says she loves what Parliament Hill is all about, and said she intends to run again as a Calgary Nose Hill MP.
“I love what I do, despite the internal ups and downs of the party in recent years and what may come in the future,” he said.
“I will serve as long as I continue to gain the trust of my community and, to be very clear, I will not go anywhere and I intend to offer myself again as a Member of Parliament.”
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Jason Ribeiro, a PhD researcher at the University of Calgary, said Rempel Garner’s Substack charge is a warning to the UCP to resolve its internal conflict ahead of next year’s provincial election. The charge is a careful representation of the NPD and shows that the party is difficult to lead, Ribeiro said.
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“That doesn’t look good, especially near a leadership election and a general election,” Ribeiro said.
“If you were a supporter of the UCP, Michelle Rempel Garner’s blog is an opportunity to put your house in order at best. At worst, this is a gift for the CPU because everyone is queuing up behind Rachel Notley. “
But Ribeiro said it’s too early to know if Rempel Garner’s announcement is a determinant of who will win the leadership election.
“The favorite in these polls does not necessarily indicate the winner in a ranked vote. The goal is to be as acceptable to as many people as possible,” Ribeiro said.
“What matters is that people swing on the party’s loyalists, raise funds and convince people to buy members.”
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