Toews filed the paperwork with Elections Alberta late Monday making him the first registered candidate in the upcoming leadership race
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Travis Toews has resigned as Alberta’s finance minister and is officially running to replace Jason Kenney as leader of the United Conservative Party.
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Toews filed the paperwork with Elections Alberta late Monday making him the first registered candidate in the upcoming leadership race.
Rumors had been swirling for days that Toews intended to run for leader but he never publicly confirmed his plans.
The MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, Toews was elected in 2019 and named finance minister in Kenney’s first cabinet.
A representative for the campaign said Toews was not available for an interview Tuesday. In a statement Toews said he was running to “lead our party back to the foundations that united us.”
“It’s time to lay aside our differences to focus on our shared vision — a hopeful future for our children and grandchildren, on the foundation of a free and prosperous Alberta,” he said.
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The hunt for a new leader comes after a contentious leadership review of Kenney which saw him receive only 51.4 per cent of the vote and agree to resign as soon as the party has named his successor.
At an unrelated press conference Tuesday, Kenney confirmed that Toews resigned from his post as finance minister Monday night, as is conventional for any cabinet minister eyeing the leadership.
Kenney said he expects other ministers could announce leadership runs and have to leave their portfolios meaning he may be naming interim ministers to act in those capacities “until I know what the complete lay of the land is.”
“I don’t want to end up having to do several potential mini (cabinet) shuffles, if you will,” he said.
In his press release, Toews said the government needs to lead with strength and humility.
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“We must take time to listen — to our members and to all Albertans, and we must learn from our missteps,” he said.
Toews made his announcement in his riding Tuesday and was not at a cabinet ministers meeting that morning in Edmonton.
On her way into a cabinet meeting, Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney, who herself is considering a leadership run, was asked by reporters about Toews’ campaign.
“Travis is a wonderful man, but what this race needs right now is just not more of the same,” she said,
Other candidates who have said they intend to run for leadership include former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith and Brian Jean, who replaced Smith as Wildrose leader and now sits as the UCP MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche. Neither had filed their paperwork with Elections Alberta as of Tuesday morning.
Last week, the UCP announced it had formed an election committee that will set the rules for selecting a new party leader including timelines, entrance requirements and the voting method. No election day has been set yet.
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