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- Article is written about the events leading up to Jason Kenney's resignation as the leader of the UCP.

- Jason Kenney appeared too wishy-washy when dealing with the pandemic, by jumping from harsh mandates to a completely open society -- this could have caused a loss in votes from his party.
- Recorded insults towards opposition leaders to gain votes in favor of the conservative party.

- My position agrees with Jason Kenney's decision to step down. With his handling of the pandemic, and the state of our province's economy, indecisiveness showcases a leader who is not confident in his decisions.

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Mr. Kenney told Alberta that he would stay in power if the vote was over as little as 50% but resigned when the ballots came back at 51.4%. When covid hit, people stopped looking to him for answers.

1.) He stepped down when he said that he would not.
2.) Kenney lifted most restrictions for covid when the majority of the public was against it and soon after reimposed some after the 4th wave of covid hit.
3.) Stepping down is almost like running away from his problems.

- We agree with his stepping down, but he should have done it with more notice.

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Summary:
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he will step down as the leader of the United Conservative Party
Issues:
He failed to secure substantial support from members in an internal review
Kenney received support from 51.4 per cent of party members which he did not believe was enough
Our Position: We agree and support his decision

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Briefly Summarize your article?
-Article goes through the events that happened yesterday and what has led up to this situation, and what will be happening going forward.

What are the 2 or 3 ethical issues?
-The economy is in turmoil right now, and him stepping down will likely make it worse as the conservative party will work towards finding a new leader.
-There was no indication that he would step down if the results weren't in his favour. This leads to the party scrambling when he does step down.

Our position and why?
-We feel like we agree with him stepping down but not in the manner that he did.
-We think that he acted selfishly as he stepped down only after the votes came in, but months ago when people were calling for his resignation, he didn't.

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Jason Kenney did not have enough of a vote for him to stay. He said he needed a min of 60% and only got 51% so he chose to step down

Not enough support within his party

two different paths to take in the UCP party

Our position: It seemed like a no win situation for him

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Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigns as UCP leader

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In the end, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called his own bluff.

After insisting he'd stay on as leader of the United Conservative Party with as little as a 50-per-cent-plus-one plurality in the recent leadership review, he resigned when the result was just slightly higher than that.

Mr. Kenney's decision seems to have come as a shock to just about everyone in Alberta. It wasn't. He is many things - but a stupid man he is not. When the result of the weeks-long mail-in balloting process was 51.4 per cent in favour of him staying on as leader, it was over. He likely had a number in his head that would have allowed him to remain in the job, and it was surely much higher than that.

He probably needed 60 per cent or more to stave off the caucus infighting that had destabilized his hold on power. Even that might not have been enough, such was the determination of many to see him removed.

It really is a remarkable fall from grace in a province whose politics are increasingly defined by acrimony and upheaval. When Mr. Kenney left federal politics with the ambition to unite the two conservative parties in Alberta - the Progressive Conservatives, who had governed the province for 43 years, and the Wildrose Party, which represented rural interests and those with stricter conservative values - many believed he had little chance of success.

And yet, through persuasion and hard work, he did it. And then he won the 2019 election by a landslide under the UCP banner he created. At the time, it looked like he might govern for years and years.

But Mr. Kenney fell victim to the one thing that those who achieve the unimaginable often do: Hubris.

He was being hailed as the saviour of conservatism, not just in Alberta but in Canada. He became the most influential conservative voice in the country. He was the smartest guy in the room - at least he thought so - and mostly listened to himself when it came to making big decisions. He alienated many inside his caucus, especially MLAs who represented rural parts of the province.

The pandemic complicated things. The price of oil was still at historic lows, and the province's books were a mess. The issues were so big, so tough, that even the smartest guy in the room couldn't solve them. He seem preoccupied with settling scores, picking fights. He was always angry at something or someone. His politics became small and petty.

Even his go-to tactic - lob a grenade in the direction of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - wasn't working for him any more. The public turned on him. And great swaths of his party were right there with them.

And so here we are, with the province's governing party once again in search of a new leader and an election a year away.

Who knows who will emerge victorious? Former Wildrose leaders Brian Jean and Danielle Smith will throw their names in. Others in Mr. Kenney's cabinet will too. Former federal Conservative MPs Rona Ambrose and Michelle Rempel Garner, both from Alberta, will be wooed. Of the two, I could see Ms. Rempel Garner possibly putting her hand up. She would instantly become the front-runner.

However, whoever wins will have the same problem Mr. Kenney had when he took over: the UCP is an amalgam of two political philosophies, two ideological forces. They are often at odds. To put it another way, the old Wildrose forces often disagree and resent the old Progressive Conservative types. Their interests aren't aligned. They don't like one another. Old war wounds have not healed and may never heal.

That is a tricky situation to manage as leader. Mr. Kenney failed that test - and he is seen as a pretty savvy political operator. Managing those two factions is the toughest job a UCP leader has.

Mr. Kenney led arguably the most right-wing government in the country. He represented hope for those who believe there is a role in this country for governments pushing a more traditional, small-c conservatism, and many of his policy initiatives were emblazoned with that philosophy. If that approach could thrive in Alberta, it might thrive in other parts of the country, or so the thinking went.

This is a setback for anyone holding those aspirations.

Many will see this decision as a victory for Rachel Notley and the NDP. Not so fast: polls showed she had a big lead over a Jason Kenney-led UCP, but the numbers were more even with others leading the governing party.

This story is a long way from over. In many ways, the best part is yet to come.
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Opinion: The spectacular fall of Jason Kenney

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In the end, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called his own bluff. After insisting he'd stay on as leader of the United Conservative Party with as little as a 50-per-cent-plus-one plurality in the recent leadership review, he resigned when the result was just slightly higher than that.

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1. 5 mins    -  Class to agree on an article

2. 15 mins  - In Groups, answer the following questions:

Briefly summarize your article?

What are the 2 or 3 key ethical issues?

What is your position and why?

3.  10 mins - one person from each team to give their thoughts