Donna Kennedy-Glans wants to rejoin PC caucus
MLA and former junior cabinet minister left caucus over Alison Redford's leadership
A former cabinet minister who resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus to protest the leadership of Alison Redford now wants to rejoin the party.
Donna Kennedy-Glans, the MLA for Calgary-Varsity, resigned as associate minister for electricity and renewable energy and left the Progressive Conservative caucus four months ago to sit in the legislature as an independent.
At the time of her resignation, Kennedy-Glans gave several reasons for her departure, including what she called a culture of entitlement within the party — which has been in power for 43 years — and a slide away from fiscal discipline.
Alison Redford resigned the leadership of the PC party in May after the defection of several MLAs, including Kennedy-Glans, and ongoing controversy about her leadership and travel expenses.
Kennedy-Glans told CBC she has spoken with her constituents and she said there is support for her request.
"There's certainly a change in leadership and there continues to be a response to some of the expectations that I have and that my constituents have around a more open and transparent government," said Kennedy-Glans.
"I spent two months door knocking, not just PC people, but everybody's comfortable — for the most part — with my going back in and working to build the PC party under new leadership."
Kennedy-Glans said she has also spoken with fellow MLAs who have told her "it will be a stronger caucus with you."
However, not all MLAs share that view. On the social media web site Twitter, Dr. David Swann, the MLA for Calgary-Mountainview and former leader of the Liberal Party, said the Progressive Conservatives have lost the moral authority to govern and he was sorry to hear Kennedy-Glans wants to rejoin the party.
The PC caucus must vote on a motion to re-admit Kennedy-Glans to the party. Kennedy-Glans said she has made a formal request to the party whip and expects the vote to take place at the next caucus meeting, likely in early September.
The party has made no response yet to her request.