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CP NewsAlert: Alberta Premier Smith gets 91 per cent support in leadership review

  • Jack Farrell

    Jack Farrell

  • Canadian Press

  • November 2, 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith arrives to speak about introducing three new bills to do with transgender issues in Edmonton, on Thursday October 31, 2024. Some 6,000 United Conservative Party members are in Red Deer, Alta., for the party's annual convention this weekend to cast their votes today on what they think of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's leadership so far. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

RED DEER, Alta. -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith received 91.5 per cent support from her United Conservative Party members in a leadership review vote at its annual convention.

While there is no mandated minimum level of level needed in such a vote, Smith's predecessor Jason Kenney received 51 per cent support in 2022 and resigned as a result.

Smith had said she was hoping to gain more than the 54 per cent support she received when she won the party leadership election in 2022.

Past conservative Alberta premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford received 77 per cent in their leadership votes before being ousted later in caucus controversies.

This vote was the culmination of the party's meeting in Red Deer, with about 6,000 members attending its annual general meeting.

In a speech to party members as voting began, Smith said not everyone is going to agree all the time but they must avoid destructive infighting and stay true to their conservative principles.

More coming.