Klein dealt a crushing blow in leadership review
Updated Sat. Apr. 1 2006 2:22 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Ralph Klein's hold on the premiership of Alberta was dealt a crushing blow after Conservative delegates gave him just 55 per cent support in a leadership review in Calgary late Friday night.
It's not immediately clear what action Klein would take, with speculation that he needed at least 75 per cent approval to avoid an earlier retirement than he would like.
Klein only issued a brief statement after the result, saying he wants to take a few days to consider his political future.
"Give the results of this vote, I intend to meet with party officials and my staff to discuss my next step," he said. "I will do this as quickly as possible and announce a decision about my future shortly."
Marisa Etmanski, Klein's official spokesperson, told the Canadian Press the premier was deeply disappointed. "He was shocked and, I daresay, a little hurt," she added.
Klein earlier pleaded with his Conservative Party faithful at the party's annual convention to let him stay on as their leader for another two years.
"I ask you to give me -- one final time -- your endorsement to achieve what I have laid out for the duration of this mandate," Klein told roughly 1,200 delegates in a speech before they cast secret ballots in a mandatory leadership vote.
"If you see fit to give me that support, I pledge to you that I will work as hard as I possibly can to bring continued honour to this party and continued prosperity to this province we love."
"You have my word, which I offer to you with humility, with respect and with honesty."
Klein has won four consecutive majorities for the Tories. But he has been criticized of late for failing to provide solid leadership -- and for the political infighting critics say began when he announced his retirement wouldn't come for another 19 months, on Oct. 31, 2007.
The 63-year-old political warhorse, who normally gets a percentage of party support in the high 90s, has said he will resign from the party if he didn't achieve a "substantial majority" in his leadership review.
Calling Alberta "Canada's shining star," Klein fought to persuade party members to allow him to carry through his fourth mandate to the end.
"(Albertans) didn't choose this party to govern so they could watch us bicker," Klein told the crowd in Calgary.
"They chose us to be honest, open, bold stewards of the province's future ... The lustre of the shining star can only be darkened if the stewards they chose don't show leadership and vision and unity.''
Five goals
Amid criticisms that the party was rudderless, Klein outlined five "big picture" goals he wanted to achieve in his province:
To build a close, productive relationship with the new federal government.
To reshape Alberta's energy development strategy and expand its world markets, while improving on the ones it currently holds.
To work to improve the $9-billion health-care system.
To establish the Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund.
To leave Alberta in "better shape" than when he first took hold of the province's helm.
Klein has governed unchallenged for 13 years. He was sworn in as Alberta's premier in 1992, and since then, has led his party to four strong victories.
He has a strong circle of supporters, including Health Minister Iris Evans and Finance Minister Shirley McClennan, who said there's little to find fault with the premier who drove the province to success.
"The premier is rated higher than any other politician in his position across Canada," McClennan told CTV Calgary, adding that it would be a big mistake to hasten Klein's retirement.
"What would we look like to the rest of Canada if we were to do that? We'd look like fools."
Rod Love, a former Klein chief of staff, in an interview with CTV's Mike Duffy on Friday, said Klein deserves the right to leave when he wants.
But he added: "There's certainly no question about it -- there is a restlessness in the party, and that's natural.
"As the saying goes, people tend to look to the rising sun and not the setting sun."
Despite the strong shows of support, Klein has faced increasing calls to step down.
Klein biographer Don Martin thinks the long winding down to retirement would not seem so long if the Alberta premier had an agenda for his final 19 months.
"The idea he wants to do something about clean-burning coal and the idea of turning Alberta into some sort of cancer research centre of excellence is admirable, but it doesn't take 19 months to throw a bunch of money and make those things happen," said Martin in a recent interview with CTV's Question Period.
Before his speech, about 300 people protesting Klein's "Third Way" health reforms caused a commotion outside the convention centre.
Police and security guards moved quickly to lock the entrances to the building.
Within the party, the head of the Tory youth wing said Klein is showing no signs of vision for the province.
"He always talks about the burning in the belly. I'm not sure whether he's going to have the burning in the belly in 19 months."
In March, Klein suffered a series of embarrassing setbacks, including an apology for throwing a Liberal policy booklet at a 17-year-old female legislature page.
Former cabinet minister Lyle Oberg, who was fired last week after attacking the premier's protracted retirement plan, has also been a thorn in Klein's side.
Oberg said on Friday, however, that the leadership review is neither about a show of support or a display of disapproval for Klein.
"What this is, quite simply, is about a two-year leadership, and it's whether or not people want a two-year leadership," Oberg told CTV Calgary.
Potential successors
Meanwhile, several potential leadership hopefuls are waiting in the wings in the yet-to-be declared leadership race. Aside from Oberg, they include:
former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning, seen by many as the front-runner;
veteran cabinet minister Ed Stelmach, seen as another strong contender;
reports also name Advanced Education Minister David Hancock;
rookie legislature member Ted Morton; and
Mark Norris, a one-term cabinet minister from Edmonton.
