Danielle Smith

Danielle Smith is back. The former opposition and Wildrose Party leader has announced her intention to become the United Conservative Party nominee for ...

He's indicated he also intends to run for Kenney's spot if he is defeated in the vote. The former opposition and Wildrose Party leader has announced her intention to become the United Conservative Party nominee for Livingstone-Macleod in next year's general election. She the leader of the Wildrose Party from 2009-14, at which time she crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservatives under Jim Prentice. She brought eight other members with her.

Former Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith is looking to re-enter Alberta politics.Smith is to hold an online...

Former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith is coming back to Alberta politics and says she will vote against Premie...

Danielle Smith was a guest at a Peter Guthrie function in December. She's shown here with Airdrie-Cochrane UPC constituency president Kevin Wilson and Guthrie.

"I'm a fan of Danielle's, but I think the best thing to do is to have as many people run as possible. As we all know, that has a lot of issues around it." "I'm just looking forward to seeing what she brings.

Danielle Smith, journalist and former leader of Alberta's Wildrose Party, has announced her return to Alberta politics, with possible plans to seek the ...

Smith is now the second former Wildrose leader to declare interest in the UCP’s top spot. Smith lost her seat to a Wildrose candidate, and the PCs lost their first election in 43 years, failing even to form the official opposition. But that really is a decision that’s up to members.”

Smith says she decided to return after Kenney called opponents 'lunatics' and UCP changed leadership review at last minute.

But three years later, Ms. Smith and eight other members of the Wildrose crossed the floor to join the PCs under then-premier Jim Prentice. Ms. Smith said leaders typically stick around if they get much higher approval ratings and that a bare majority is not a credible mandate to continue. Ms. Smith became leader of the Wildrose party in 2009 as it flourished as a clutch of disaffected floor-crossing Progressive Conservatives who believed their party and government had abandoned core values of financial stringency and grassroots participation. The move decimated the Wildrose, but it managed to survive under new leader and former Conservative MP Brian Jean to eventually merge with the PCs under Mr. Kenney in 2017 to form the UCP. But most importantly, she said, Mr. Kenney is ignoring the voice of everyday Albertans in the party and the province. “An Alberta conservative party was blown out in an election in (2012) because of a failure of leadership to block extremists from getting on the party ballot,” said Mr. Kenney. Mr. Kenney has said if he gets 50 per cent plus one vote in the contest, he will stay on as leader. Ms. Smith said Mr. Kenney has made progress on job creation and the economy, but failed on some COVID-19 measures. She said one reason she came back was dismay over Mr. Kenney recently vilifying his opponents as “lunatics.” Another was anger over the UCP executive deciding last week to alter the leadership review from an in-person vote to a broader mail-in ballot – a move, she said, that appears to favour Mr. Kenney. Ms. Smith said she plans to run in the southern constituency of Livingstone-Macleod and will vote no in the upcoming mail-in review of Mr. Kenney’s leadership. The machinations racking Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his party took a new twist Friday with the return of a former leader promising to vote against Mr. Kenney in his leadership review and then trying to take his job. If Mr. Kenney fails to get at least majority support in the vote – the results are to be announced May 18 – the party must hold a contest to pick a new leader.

If Jason Kenney loses the upcoming leadership review, then the UCP must hold a contest to pick a new leader — a race Danielle Smith says she wants in on.

But three years later, Smith and eight other members of the Wildrose crossed the floor to join the PCs under then-premier Jim Prentice. I do believe the best campaign is characterized by hard work and honesty." I do believe the best campaign is characterized by hard work and honesty.” Click to share quote on Twitter: "I will run in this nomination with the same integrity and dedication to representing those same people. “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to represent the people of Livingstone-Macleod in the Legislature for the last three years and I look forward to a rigorous nomination process in the coming months,” he said in a statement to Global News. “I will run in this nomination with the same integrity and dedication to representing those same people. “An Alberta conservative party was blown out in an election in (2012) because of a failure of leadership to block extremists from getting on the party ballot,” said Kenney. But Kenney later appeared to criticize Smith for allowing a candidate to run for the Wildrose in the 2012 election, despite the candidate’s past comments urging gays and lesbians to repent or suffer eternally in Hell’s “lake of fire.” Smith said it would be a mistake for the Opposition NDP to be dismissed as a “one-hit wonder.” Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'd be quite delighted to represent the people of this province in that capacity." “I’d be quite delighted to represent the people of this province in that capacity.” Smith said she plans to run in the southern constituency of Livingstone-Macleod and will vote no in the upcoming mail-in review of Kenney’s leadership.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The former leader of the Wildrose Party wants to make a return to Alberta politics.Danielle...

Smith says he needs a lot more than a bare majority to have a credible mandate to continue, adding she’ll run for his job if a leadership race is called. Smith says, “what is forgotten is that we have all gone through a collective trauma for the last two years” and many Albertans were frustrated that public health restrictions weren’t eased sooner. As for why she is running now, Smith says he is dismayed that Kenney has called all of his opponents “extremists and lunatics.”

Former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith is coming back to Alberta politics and says she will vote against Premie...

Danielle Smith is back. The former opposition and Wildrose Party leader has announced her intention to become the United Conservative Party nominee for Livingstone-Macleod in next year's general election.

He's indicated he also intends to run for Kenney's spot if he is defeated in the vote. She the leader of the Wildrose Party from 2009-14, at which time she crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservatives under Jim Prentice. She brought eight other members with her. She's also got her eyes on the top prize – Smith is gunning for Premier Jason Kenney's spot as leader of the party.