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Alison Redford's future as AB Premier on the rocks

Premier Alison Redford wasn't initially invited to a meeting of her Progressive Conservative party's board of directors on Saturday ... but she was there and emerged ready to accept what was called a "Work Plan". Was the meeting enough to rescue Redford from the wrath of her own party?...
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Premier Alison Redford wasn't initially invited to a meeting of her Progressive Conservative party's board of directors on Saturday ... but she was there and emerged ready to accept what was called a "Work Plan". Was the meeting enough to rescue Redford from the wrath of her own party?

It was a wide ranging, no-holds barred discussion and the premier did an excellent job. She didn't back away from any of the rather hard-hitting questions that she was asked. Jim McCormick, President of Alberta's Progressive Conservatives, speaking to reporters on Saturday

The party's board of directors spent hours grilling Premier Alison Redford in a closed-door meeting in Calgary. Both Mr. McCormick and Ms. Redford said the confab was frank but productive: the party will be handing the premier what they call a "work plan" laying out expectations for how she can do a better job as leader.

But it remains to be seen how Redford's leadership will fare in the weeks ahead after what's been a tumultuous time for the Alberta Conservatives. Last week, Premier Redford watched her personal popularity plummet in the polls after controversy over the spending of $45,000 of tax money to attend Nelson Mandela's funeral. She refused to pay it back for weeks, but finally relented last Wednesday.

When it comes to the cost of the South Africa trip I've heard strong opinions on both sides of the issue. As we've seen over the past few weeks, there has been a distraction from the important work that Albertans elected us to do and that we promised Albertans we would do ,and that's why I have informed my caucus, my cabinet and my party that I have personally paid for the costs associated with the recent South Africa trip. I want to sincerely apologize to Albertans for these costs. Alberta Premier Alison Redford

The next day, Tory backbencher and former cabinet minister, Len Webber, announced that he was leaving the Conservative party to sit as an independent.


She should have paid it back right away and she never did that's what threw me over that was the final straw. The last 2 years under the leadership of Alison Redford I can no longer stay with the party, I cannot return to work ,and sit on the same side as long as Alison Redford is sitting at the helm. She is just basically she is really not a nice lady. The way this leadership is run is through intimidation and bullying and people are basically I believe afraid to speak up and talk. I've seen the abuse first hand not only to me but to others as well. Fits of rage,temper tantrums, it's something I cannot be a part of any longer. Tory backbencher and former cabinet minister, Len Webber

Well that characterization of Premier Redford did not sit well with Deputy Premier Dave Hancock . He doesn't have much sympathy for Mr. Webber, who lost his cabinet post under Ms. Redford's leadership.


He's a very sad man he could not take the fact that in this business there are ups there are downs ,sometimes you're in sometimes you're not. Sometimes that has to do with geography and demographics and sometimes that has to do with whether you came and brought your best game to the table and whether you contributed. He was in cabinet and then he was out of cabinet and he has never accepted that very well and you have to take the context of his remarks as to where he's coming from. Deputy Premier Hancock

We did invite Len Webber, Dave Hancock and Alison Redford to speak with us this morning but they declined.


There are clearly some divisions on display inside the PC party that's held on to power in Alberta for more than four decades.

Stephen Robson is a longtime party member, and the Constituency President for the riding of Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, which, incidentally is currently a riding held by the NDP. Stephen Robson was in our Edmonton studio.


Premier Redford has other worries than what people within her party think of her leadership. Bruce Cameron actively tracks what people say on-line and how the Premier's popularity has fared since Len Webber left the party.

Bruce Cameron is President of the Calgary polling company Return On Insight. We reached him in Mexico.


It doesn't seem that long ago -- it was 2012 -- when Premier Alison Redford won the provincial election with a decisive majority. So why is Alison Redford's future as the Premier on the rocks?

  • Rick Bell is a political columnist for the Calgary Sun.

  • Paula Simons is a political columnist for the Edmonton Journal.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry, Peter Mitton, CBC's Gillian Rutherford and Michael O'Halloran.

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