UCP Leadership candidate Jason Kenney has received the support of 23 Alberta Conservative Members of Parliament in his bid to become the first leader of the UCP in Alberta, and the local MP is one of them.

Banff - Airdrie MP Blake Richards has thrown his support behind Kenney whom he has worked with in various capacities for nearly 20 years.  Richards says Kenney's time in federal politics served him well and gained him valuable leadership qualities.

"He essentially filled the role of Deputy Prime Minister.  He was chair of the main committee of cabinet.  During his time as Minister of Immigration he made some very major reforms and really put our immigration system on a far better path.  His time as Employment Minister and then Defence Minister as well.  I always had a great deal of respect for the way he approached things so I'm happy to endorse him."

Richards says he knows all of the candidates and feels any one of them would make a good leader and, he says even more importantly, would make a better Premier for the province then the current one.

"I think the United Conservative Party is absolutely the answer. It's going to be a big job. The NDP has created a big hole here that's going to take some time to climb out of. There's no question about that, but I think the UCP and the people in it and the leadership candidates, particularly Jason Kenney, have everything that's required to do that over some time."

Richards thinks the vote will be a tight one between the two suspected front runners, Kenney and former Wildrose leader Brian Jean.

"I think there's good support, particularly for those two candidates.  It should be a tight race.  It's been a good clash of ideas and skill sets and I think that's great to be able to choose a leader that we hope will be the next Premier of Alberta.  I do think it will be a very competitive result.  I'm hoping that everyone will come together and work as a team coming out of it.  At the end of the day that's what it's all about is presenting a great alternative government.  I think the province is going to be in a lot better shape after the next election as a result."

Kenney, Jean and Calgary lawyer and longtime PC party member Doug Schweitzer are running to become UCP leader.   

Voting for the leader begins this morning (October 26) at 9:00 am.  The results of the vote will be made known at 5:30 pm Saturday. 

 

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