Conservatives in western Canada have won a critical regional election, with voters rejecting the province of Alberta’s incumbent leftwing government and setting the stage for a fight with the federal government over environmental policy. The bitter election was fought largely over the economy, pipelines and the environment. Running on a campaign slogan of “Alberta: Strong and Free”, winner Jason Kenney and his right-wing United Conservative party (UCP) pledged to revive the province’s troubled oil and gas sector, cut taxes and scale back environmental policies enacted by the previous government. “Alberta is open for business,” Kenney told a raucous crowd, after pulling up to the stage of his victory celebration in his blue campaign pickup truck. “Help is on the way and hope is on the horizon.” Premier Rachel Notley of the leftwing New Democratic party was vying for her second mandate in the province of Alberta, having previously shocked the country when she and her party stormed to victory in 2015. The historic win broke an unprecedented 44 years of conservative rule in the province and was heralded as a new age in Alberta politics. But a second time around, her promises of a balance between environmental regulation and businesses growth appears to have been rejected by a majority of Albertans, with frustrated residents defecting to the the UCP. Despite her strong favourability ratings, Notley becomes the first premier in the province’s history to fail to secure a second term. She was the last remaining female premier in the country, a dramatic shift from 2013, when six women held the job in five provinces and one territory. “I am enormously proud of our record – and you should be too,” she told supporters as she conceded the race to Kenney – adding that she would remain as opposition leader. “I wish him and his government well. We all do and we must because we all love Alberta.” With Kenney’s legislative majority, the province appears set to return to the status quo of conservative government. Loud cheers broke out in the Big Four Roadhouse, a venue in the Calgary Stampede grounds where UCP members had gathered. Provisional results at 11pm eastern (0400 GMT Wednesday), an hour after voting ended, showed the party had won 62 of the 87 seats in the provincial legislature. “This means vindication of the very, very difficult defeat that we received in 2015. That was a protest vote, this is a positive vote,” said Marguerite Denis, who co-managed the campaign of one UCP candidate. Much of the bitter campaign centred around pipelines, with both Notley and Kenney vowing to complete the Trans Mountain pipeline, a critical infrastructure project for the province that has languished in regulatory review since the summer. A prolonged energy crisis in the province – largely the result of overproduction of oil with no clear access to market – has forced energy companies to sell crude at deep discounts, costing thousands of jobs and billions in lost government tax revenues. While the majority of voters expressed frustration over the economic crisis in the province, they remained skeptical of the socially conservative positions taken by the UCP. Throughout the election Kenney’s party was dogged by accusations of racism and homophobia, promoting candidate resignations and statements of contrition from others. United Conservative leader Jason Kenney Photograph: Candace Elliott/Reuters Premier-designate Kenney will have to deliver on promises he made to revitalise the region’s oil sands, something experts caution might be more difficult than anticipated given the high cost of production and a wariness of investing in capital-intensive projects. His victory is the latest in a string of conservative wins at the provincial level since 2015 and spells trouble at the national level for Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, which has recently fallen in the polls after a political scandal and is locked in multiple legal battles with provinces over the federal carbon tax. Kenney has vowed to scale back the key aspects of the province’s environmental legislation. But any changes to environmental policy that fall below Trudeau’s emissions threshold will trigger the federal government imposition of a carbon tax on the province.<doc-sep>EDMONTON – Albertans have voted in favour of a UCP government, handing the reins to leader Jason Kenney. The 50-year-old United Conservative Party leader, known for saying he can’t help but march to the sound of rhetorical gunfire, soundly defeated Rachel Notley’s NDP with a majority in Tuesday’s Alberta election. The former federal cabinet minister now takes his fight to Ottawa as Alberta’s 18th premier. He has promised to challenge the federal government on everything from the carbon tax to proposed energy regulations and equalization payments. WATCH: Jason Kenney’s victory speech It’s a new to-do list for Kenney after checking off the final box on a plan he announced three years ago to unite Alberta’s warring right-of-centre Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose Party and take them to the summit. “I had zero inkling to do it,” Kenney said in a pre-campaign interview. “But as I got further into the spring and then summer of 2016, I just realized that somebody with the relevant profile, network and experience had to step forward with a plan.” Kenney was born in Oakville, Ont., raised in Saskatchewan, and spent his adult years based in Alberta. WATCH: A breakdown of the Jason Kenney win He said he was just 10 years old, sitting on a couch and minding his own business at a Saskatchewan school fundraiser, when politics first found him. John Diefenbaker, well over a decade removed from being prime minister, came up to young Kenney, asked him his name, and struck up a conversation: Do you know the mythical story of Jason and the Argonauts? What’s your favourite subject at school? What are your future plans? “That 10-minute conversation made an indelible impression on me,” remembered Kenney. “That a former prime minister would spend 10 minutes talking to a 10-year-old boy was remarkable to me. I never forgot the kindness that he showed. And that maybe gave me sort of my initial interest in politics and public service.” Thank you #Alberta! We Albertans are proud Canadians and tonight we have elected a government that will stand up for our fair deal in confederation. #abvote pic.twitter.com/RylmCAAn7s — Jason Kenney (@jkenney) April 17, 2019 He has lived much in the public eye as he has fought for conservative principles and the concept of ordered liberty, first as an anti-tax crusader and later as a key lieutenant in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet in portfolios that included immigration, employment and defence. He is not married and happily recounts a life committed to public service. A day’s politicking is followed by late-night reading from a stack of philosophy books at the bedside. He is partial to Aristotle and Edmund Burke. He is schooled in the ground game of politics and had legendary campaign war chests as a Calgary MP. RIDING MAP: @albertaNDP dots on the map in #Edmonton and in the Banff-Kananaskis riding. Otherwise, the map is pretty well covered in @Alberta_UCP blue. pic.twitter.com/TpCAtKe5yS — Kayla Butler (@ButlerKayla) April 17, 2019 Some credit him with moving Harper’s government into majority territory by reaching out to ethnic newcomers, breaking the shibboleth that they vote Liberal, so much so he gained the nickname “minister for curry in a hurry.” He is a Catholic and has spoken out against gay marriage and abortion in the past, but promises not to act on those issues if he becomes premier. Critics say he can’t be trusted. They note he has promised, as premier, to roll back some protections for students in gay-straight alliances in schools. READ MORE: UCP platform in 5 minutes He won the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives, then the new United Conservatives and finally the provincial election, illuminating his drive, populist instincts, and nose for the political jugular. In a province where the unemployment rate is above seven per cent in Edmonton and Calgary, he campaigned against Notley on “jobs, jobs, jobs,” tapping into latent discontent over the federal government’s failure to get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project underway. To win the UCP leadership, he drove back and forth across Alberta in a blue pickup truck to meet and greet thousands of supporters and fence-sitters. Then, in less than two years, he got 87 constituency associations and candidates running. Congratulations to UCP Leader Jason Kenney on his election by the people of Alberta. I look forward to working together in the interests of both of our provinces. — John Horgan (@jjhorgan) April 17, 2019 Alberta has chosen a new government, and I congratulate @jkenney on his election as Premier-designate. I’m looking forward to working together to create jobs & tackle the issues that matter most to Albertans – and all Canadians. https://t.co/pMwhH4ybHS — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 17, 2019 It was also about doing whatever it takes. When Kenney ran for the PC leadership, he was fined by the party for setting up a hospitality booth beside a voting station. Last month, campaign documents and emails revealed that his UCP leadership team worked in lockstep with another candidate to have him attack Kenney’s chief rival while Kenney stayed above the fray. Mounties are investigating the UCP leadership race for possible fraud. READ MORE: RCMP search business owned by Calgary UCP candidate Kenney has said his next step is to get back on the campaign trail, this time to get the federal Liberals defeated in the fall. “It is in the vital economic interests of Alberta that the Trudeau government be replaced this October,” he said earlier this week. For Kenney, one campaign is over. Let another campaign begin.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Interactive map: Live coverage, election results across Alberta Interactive map: Live coverage, election results across Alberta Article content Not only did the United Conservative Party win seats in 63 ridings, compared to 24 for the NDP, Jason Kenney’s party also captured a clear majority of the popular vote in Alberta. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Interactive map: Live coverage, election results across Alberta Back to video The UCP captured 914,749 votes (54.8 per cent), compared to 534,642 for the NDP (32.1 per cent). Approximately 6,851 polls of 7,337 are reporting. Here is a recap of last night’s amazing events and reaction to the UCP landslide. Kenney gives victory speech; Notley concedes In a victory speech before a packed house at UCP headquarters in Calgary, a fired-up and triumphant Kenney — who won his own seat in Calgary-Lougheed in a landslide — said Alberta voters have been heard loud and clear. He said there is a deep frustration in the province, adding everywhere Alberta turns it’s being “blocked in and pinned down.” “Today our province has sent a message to Canada and the world,” Kenney declared. “Alberta is open for business.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Kenney vowed to defend Alberta’s suffering oil and gas sector, declaring the world needs more Canadian energy. “Today with this election, we begin to stand up for ourselves, for our jobs and for our future,” Kenney said. “Today we begin to fight back.” Finishing his speech with a conciliatory tone, Kenney thanked NDP leader Rachel Notley for her service and also thanked defeated Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel and defeated Liberal Party leader David Khan. He said he respects and honours the choice made by voters who did not cast ballots for the UCP, and pledged his government will listen and change course when wrong. “We will strive to be a government for all,” Kenney said. NDP leader Rachel Notley, who conceded defeat at 9:45 p.m at her party’s election night headquarters in Edmonton, said the people have spoken and congratulated Kenney. She said it has been an “incredible honour” to serve as Alberta’s premier and highlighted some of her party’s accomplishments, including the increased minimum wage, the implementation of a climate strategy, and the reduction of child poverty. Pledging to stay on as opposition leader, Notley said she and the NDP will rigorously hold the new government to account. “We have fundamentally changed the politics of this province forever,” Notley said. Trudeau reacts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement Tuesday evening, offering “sincere congratulations” to Kenney. He said he looks forward to working with the new Alberta government to create jobs, build infrastructure and “grow the businesses and industries at the heart of Alberta’s prosperity.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “Together, we will address issues of importance to Albertans and all Canadians, including supporting canola producers, and taking decisive action on climate change while getting our natural resources to market,” said Trudeau, also thanked Notley for her years of service as premier. Results in line with pollsters’ predictions The results are essentially what most pollsters have been predicting during the course of the four-week campaign, said University of Calgary political scientist David Stewart. Rachel Notley’s NDP are carrying Edmonton, but are getting largely wiped out outside of the two major cities. And while the NDP appears poised to hold onto at least three Calgary ridings (Joe Ceci has been elected in Buffalo and Kathleen Ganley and Irfan Sabir are leading in MountainView and McCall, respectively and there are a handful of tight races yet to be determined) the city overall has turned blue tonight. “I think Calgary has gone a bit more towards the UCP than people had expected,” Stewart said. And I think the New Democrats are even going to be disappointed with how they’ve done in Edmonton. Their vote’s gone down there fairly substantially. While they’re holding most of their seats, they’ve lost support there.” The result makes history, in that it marks the first time an Alberta government has gone down to defeat after only one term. After sweeping to power on a wave of dissatisfaction with the reigning Progressive Conservatives in 2015, Rachel Notley’s NDP could not replicate their unprecedented “Orange Crush” or convince Alberta voters that their record on the economy was sound. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Our team of journalists is reporting on the election across the province. Follow our live coverage here. Story continues below. Jubilation at UCP headquarters At UCP headquarters Tuesday night, the Big Four Building on the Calgary Stampede Grounds, the atmosphere was jubilant. Winning UCP candidate Rajan Sawhney, who was elected in Calgary-North East, said she was feeling “wonderful.” “It’s been such a long journey but tonight we’re on top of the world,” she said. Sawhney added she believes tonight’s results indicate that jobs, the economy and pipelines are top of mind for Albertans and said those will be her top priorities when she goes to Edmonton as an MLA. “We need to get Albertans back to work, we need to get our energy sector revitalized,” Sawhney said. Ric McIver, who won a resounding victory in Calgary-Hays, said those who didn’t vote UCP might have been scared off by some of the NDP’s “personal attacks” and suggestions that a UCP government will make life worse for minorities. “I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” McIver said. “Expect respect and good treatment, because that’s what you’re going to get.” Calgary Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel was one of a handful of well-known conservative faces to appear early at the Calgary Stampede grounds election night. Even before polls closed, she was optimistic about a UCP victory. “I think Jason (Kenney) has run a very strong campaign (and)… has done something incredible in terms of unifying the right,” she said. “I think he’s also presented a strong vision that Albertans are going to buy into, and I’m cautiously optimistic that Albertans will get the change they’re seeking tonight.” Rempel was also optimistic about what a Kenney victory would mean for federal-provincial relations, particularly in the conservative-fuelled fight against the carbon tax. “I think any time we get an ally looking at pragmatic policy in this country … that’s a very positive step in the right direction for the country writ large,” she said. “I think we’ve got good things to come.” Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper also made an appearance at the Big Four Building, inciting chants of “Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!” among the crowd. Meanwhile, NDP supporters gathered at the Edmonton Convention Centre Tuesday night, where the mood was docile as initial results started rolling in. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or After media outlets projected a UCP majority government, NDP Edmonton-City Centre candidate David Shepherd said numbers were from “a few scattered polls.” “I’m still waiting to see the numbers come in,” he said. “I’m frankly ready and willing to serve wherever Albertans should choose that we do. “Certainly I think there’s a little bit of anxiety in the air.” In an email sent about half an hour after polls closed, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley thanked supporters for their efforts over the 28-day campaign. “This has been the biggest fight of my life, and I couldn’t be happier to have had you by my side,” Notley said in the email. “I am so proud of our record. I am so proud of this campaign. I am so proud of all of the volunteers, staff, and candidates.<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email Alberta voters handed Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party a majority government in Tuesday’s election, who ran a campaign promising to scrap the carbon tax and usher in a new era of fiscal conservatism. The UCP victory is the result of a merger between Alberta’s two conservative parties after splitting the right-of-centre vote in the last provincial election. Kenney, 50, was first elected to the Alberta legislature when he won a byelection in Calgary-Lougheed in December. He retained his seat on Tuesday night. Kenney arrived at UCP election headquarters in Calgary to give his victory speech in the same blue pickup truck he has been campaigning in for months. Story continues below advertisement “What a great day for the province of Alberta,” Kenney said to a lively crowd. “Today, our great province has sent a message to Canada and the world: Alberta is open for business.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Today, our great province has sent a message to Canada and the world: Alberta is open for business." Watch below: Alberta Premier-designate Jason Kenney rode into UCP party headquarters in a blue truck to deliver his victory speech after his party won a majority government during the 2019 provincial election. 33:55 Alberta Election 2019: ‘Build those pipes’ premier-designate Jason Kenney ushers in new era Alberta Election 2019: ‘Build those pipes’ premier-designate Jason Kenney ushers in new era – Apr 17, 2019 Kenney said his party’s victory is a message from struggling and unemployed Albertans and small business owners facing financial difficulties. “Help is on the way and hope is on the horizon.” Kenney said his government will be “obsessed with getting this province back to work.” Story continues below advertisement He said the UCP will take Alberta from “being the slowest-moving and most overregulated economy in Canada, to being one of the freest and fastest-moving economies in the world.” Kenney reached out specifically to the business community. “If you want to benefit from what will be the lowest taxes in Canada, if you want to benefit from a government that will cut its red-tape burden by one-third, if you want to benefit from Canada’s most educated population and a deep culture of enterprise and innovation, help us, come here, invest here, create jobs here, renew the Alberta advantage here.” Watch below: Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party has won a majority government in Alberta. Here is a look back on election night, in under two minutes. 1:48 Alberta Election 2019: A look back on the night in under 2 minutes Alberta Election 2019: A look back on the night in under 2 minutes – Apr 17, 2019 Kenney went on to deliver a scathing message to the environmental groups and others he says are impeding Alberta’s oil industry. Story continues below advertisement “There is a deep frustration in this province; a sense that we have contributed massively to the rest of Canada but that everywhere we turn, we are being blocked in and pinned down.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There is a deep frustration in this province; a sense that we have contributed massively to the rest of Canada but that everywhere we turn, we are being blocked in and pinned down." “We have been targeted by a foreign-funded campaign of special interests, seeking to landlock Canadian energy,” he said to a chorus of boos. Kenney criticized environmental groups such as the David Suzuki Foundation for helping limit potential customers for Alberta oil and gas. “We’ve been selling our country’s greatest asset at firesale prices, losing billions of dollars of value that belongs to us.” Watch below: Alberta Premier-designate Jason Kenney related a story during his victory speech of meeting a young supporter three years ago and wanting to keep a promise to bring change to the province. 2:24 Alberta Election 2019: Victory helps Kenney keep promise to young voter Alberta Election 2019: Victory helps Kenney keep promise to young voter – Apr 17, 2019 Kenney also took aim at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Story continues below advertisement “In Ottawa, we have a federal government that has made this bad situation… much worse, killing two pipelines, including Energy East.” At that point, Kenney was interrupted with thunderous chants of, “Build that pipe! Build that pipe!” Trudeau, meanwhile, tweeted his congratulations to Kenney and said he looks forward to working with him to create jobs in Alberta. He also thanked Notley for her service as premier.