Jason Kenney is captive to his UCP caucus

By Letter to the Editor on October 2, 2021.

Editor:
I would like to offer a somewhat tepid defence of premier Jason Kenny. Amid the chorus of calls for his resignation, a different view seems called for.
True, under Kenney, the provincial government has hugely mismanaged the challenges of the COVID pandemic. It has been late and weak in responding to the pandemic.
It has picked an ill-timed fight with doctors and insulted nurses, launching wage bargaining by asking for a wage cut. This government has led our health care system to the brink of collapse.
However, more importantly, it has seemed Kenney is also captive to a UCP caucus which cannot grasp the importance of this pandemic and cannot agree to balance personal freedoms with the rights of the community to be safe.
This is the caucus from which several took exotic Xmas holidays while the rest of us were in lockdown. This caucus has had several restless and rebellious MLAs, when it seemed further restrictions were called for. They have been lukewarm to masks, vaccines and other protocols.
Alberta will gain little by replacing Kenney with another like-minded person from this caucus. Yes, let’s dump Jason Kenney. But what Alberta really needs is to dump the whole UCP caucus!
Terry Shillington
Lethbridge