Premier-Designate Jason Kenney speaking to the media in Edmonton on Wednesday (Photo: The Canadian Press)

By Shaun Penner

Premier-Designate

Kenney ready to get to work with new majority government

Apr 17, 2019 | 6:34 PM

Premier-Designate Jason Kenney is looking forward to getting to work right away with his new majority government.

The leader of the United Conservatives spoke in front of the legislature building in Edmonton Wednesday afternoon, where he outlined his parties plans to get to work right away. He said the first sitting of the 30^th Legislature of Alberta will come in the third week of May.

“Bill #1, in that legislature session, will be the Carbon Tax Repeal Act. Bill #2 will be the Open for Business Act. We will also pass the first installment of the Job Creation Tax Cut, in that first session of the legislature,” said Kenney.

He and the rest of his team, including Tracy Allard of Grande Prairie and Travis Toews of GP-Wapiti, will be sworn in April 30.

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The United Conservatives take office with not only a strong majority, but also in a year that saw a high voter turnout. Nearly 70% of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots, the most since 1982, which saw a turnout of 66%. 1935 still holds the highest percentage in any election, at over 82%.

The UCP also garnered over 55% of the total vote, which Kenney proudly stated during his near 25-minute appearance Wednesday.

“That’s the highest share of popular vote, for a political party in Alberta since 2001 and the second highest since 1982,” said Kenney.

The only area that the UCP struggled to garner many seats was in Edmonton, where the NDP are projected to take 18 of 20 seats. Kenney said he looks forward to working with the Capital Region over the next four years, while hopefully earning a few more votes next election. As far as this election goes, though, Kenney is promising to work for all Albertans, not just those who support the UCP.

“We will seek to be a government for all Albertans, and I mean that. Of course, not every Albertan will agree with all of our policies that we ran on or that we implement,” explained Kenney. “But I can give you this commitment: We will listen, and we will seek to act in good faith.”

That stance goes in the opposite direction of his campaign, which featured many attacks against the NDP (both Alberta and B.C.), as well as the Trudeau Government. He took a much less aggressive stance in his address, saying he wants to start his relationships in office on a positive note. In regard to items such as B.C. Premier John Horgan’s stance on Trans Mountain, or Quebec Premier François Legault’s stance on Alberta oil flowing through his province, Kenney said he is still not afraid to “turn off the taps” if he doesn’t get the fair deal his party wants for Alberta.

Kenney said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reached out to him this morning, and that they had a “respectful conversation”. Kenney plans to have a face-to-face meeting with Trudeau once he is sworn into office, with the federal Carbon Tax sure to be one of the first items discussed between the two.