Premier Alison Redford resigns

Premier Alison Redford
C. Davis file photo

Chris Davis

In a short speech made yesterday evening in the Alberta Legislature rotunda Alison Redford resigned her role as Premier of Alberta, effective Sunday March 23.  Redford will keep her seat in the Legislature as MLA for Calgary-Elbow.

Excerpts from Alison Redford's resignation speech:

"Two years ago the people of this wonderful province gave me and our Progressive Conservative government a mandate for change. In fact, the last election was defined by the type of change that people wanted."

"Would we build walls around Alberta, cutting off our future prosperity? Or would we as a province say confidently that Alberta's best days were ahead and that we, as the government elected by the people, would build bridges to the world, guaranteeing a better future for us all."

Redford was unapologetic for what some have called unreasonable expenses incurred while promoting Alberta on the interprovincial and international stages.  "I will never apologize for aggressively selling Alberta to the world, going wherever we needed to to find new customers and get fairer prices for our products," she said.  "We fought to protect Alberta's royalties from other provinces and I was proud to unite the provinces in creating the Canadian Energy Strategy.  I trust that this government will continue to fight for Albertans on the world stage and for a shared better future in the years ahead."

"We've had incredible public servants who were implementing this change and I thank you for that. To our teachers, our social workers, doctors, nurses and health professionals, thank you for the work that you do every day in serving families and making our lives better.  To small businesses, workers, moms, dads, thank you for driving Alberta's economic and social future because together, we are building a strong Alberta and it's working."

Redford said Conservative Party infighting was directly related to her resignation.  "Quite frankly, too much time has been spent over the last few weeks on questions of loyalty, allegiances and character.  Too many people have been distracted from the important work that the people of Alberta sent us here to do. And as leader of this government and party, that has weighed heavily on my mind.  I love Alberta. I am honoured to represent Alberta as your Premier, and I've given my heart and my soul to this province, every single minute of the day for the last two and a half years.  Quite simply, I am not prepared to allow party and caucus in-fighting to get in the way of building a better future for our province and for all Albertans. And that is why I am announcing today that with a profound optimism for Alberta's future I am resigning as premier of Alberta effective this Sunday evening."

I want to thank my wonderful constituents.  Before you leave, before you leave, I want to take this opportunity to thank the constituents of Calgary who elected me in 2008.

Redford thanked her volunteers, and the people of Alberta "for giving me the incredible opportunity to serve in the greatest job in this province".

"On election night two years ago, I pledged that we would govern with unity and build prosperity. Well, at least we got the prosperity part right."

Redford visited the Pincher Creek area on February 12 of this year, with stops at Heritage Acres, the Ikea wind farm being constructed adjacent to |Heritage Acres, and at Group Group Youth.  At the Ikea wind farm she posed with several people, including then Associate Minister for Electricity and Renewable Energy Donna Kennedy-Glans.  On Monday Kennedy-Glans announced she was quitting the Progressive Conservative caucus, exacerbating criticism of Redford's leadership.  Her statement at that time didn't mention the Premier specifically, but according to a Canadian Press-based story published in the Calgary Herald she told Calgary reporters "We've had conversations about the premier's leadership for months now. I am just one person. I have to make my choices. I'm not here to bring down anyone."

"I don't know if the Premier should resign. I think that's up to her."

^At Ikea wind farm northeast of Pincher Creek in February 2014: AltaLink's Leigh Clarke, Premier Redford, NA Power Generation's Marc Stachiw, Associate Minister for Electricity and Renewable Energy Donna Kennedy-Glans, NA Power Generation's Stewart Duncan, Altalink's Jack Janssen

C. Davis file photo

Official Opposition Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith released a statement soon after Redford's resignation speech, excerpted below:

"For the second time in three years, the Premier of Alberta has resigned. And for the third time in eight years, the PC party will be looking for a new leader."

"Premier Redford was elected to lead the PC party as an outsider. She wasn’t part of the old boys club. She was hailed as a new kind of leader who could fix what was wrong with the party and the government. A leader who could put the party’s problems behind her and fundamentally change what it meant to be a Progressive Conservative."

"I have no doubt that she intended to be that leader. And I have no doubt that Albertans had high hopes that she would be. But what we’ve witnessed during her short 29 months as Premier is the clearest indication yet that the PC party cannot be fixed. The problems with this party and with this government run far too deep for one leader to change – no matter how noble their intentions are or how deeply they’re committed to them."

"The business of governing this province and leading it through its challenges will now once again take a backseat to the internal politics of the PC party – as they will again change their leader to try and solve a problem that can’t be solved. There will be plenty of time in the days and weeks ahead to talk about that."

"But I’d like to close on personal note.  Let’s never doubt the commitment of any leader who puts their province ahead of themselves and their families to serve. Premier Redford gave everything she had to the job she was elected to do and for that she should be proud. For that, we should be thankful."

The day before her resignation Redford's her was in the Legislature gallery watching question period as part of a Grade 6 class trip and was officially introduced to the House by the Premier.  Redford's resignation speech concluded with a reference to her family.   "My family is the most important thing in the world to me. They have been a rock through all of this and no words can thank them for what they mean to me.  Thank you.  Good night."

Sources:
Alison Redford resigns as premier of Alberta (CTV)
Alberta Government Newsroom
Statement: MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans quits PC caucus (Calgary Herald)
Wildrose Party press release