After Redford, Alberta PCs need to end ‘entitlement’: ex-treasurer

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Another prime leadership candidate has bowed out of Alberta's Progressive Conservative leadership race – but not before taking a number of thinly veiled shots at former premier Alison Redford, and challenging the party to purge itself of any sense of "entitlement" and to deal with internal "dysfunction."

Jim Dinning, who served as treasurer during the cost-cutting era of the Klein government in the mid-1990s, ran for the party leadership in 2006 but lost to Ed Stelmach, who went on to become premier. Ever since, some PCs have grumbled that the province missed out on a Camelot-style leader, and have encouraged Mr. Dinning to run in subsequent leadership contests, including the current one.

Mr. Dinning has written a damning open letter to Alberta media outlets, which doesn't mention big issues such as building more pipelines to get the province's oil to market, shows how the state of the Progressive Conservative party dominates the province's political discussion today.

The long-governing party sits far behind the more conservative Official Opposition Wildrose in recent polls, is beset with almost $1-million in debt, and has been preoccupied by internal party bickering – it's now in its third leadership race in eight years. Following Ms. Redford's resignation on March 23, the party is struggling to define its identity, or why voters should give it another chance less than two years before the next election.

Mr. Dinning's decision to opt out of the leadership race also leaves a dwindling number of plausible candidates who haven't closed the door to a run. No one has yet declared their candidacy but the list of potentials for the September leadership vote is now down to several current provincial cabinet ministers, along with former federal cabinet minister Jim Prentice.

But Mr. Dinning, 61, said he is past his "political 'best before' date."

"I've done my tour of duty both as a public servant and an elected politician. It's time for new blood," he wrote in a letter, turning down an interview request.

But Mr. Dinning didn't make his intentions clear before a treatise that emphasizes: "Entitlement breeds and flourishes when governments and political parties forget who the boss really is."

For the leadership, the party elder statesman declared: "We need a smart person to take on the task. I'd prefer a leader from outside the existing caucus, someone who'll tackle with gusto the dysfunction within."

His text goes on to point out that strong leadership requires a willingness to listen and consider other points of view – not a heavy hand – and that the province needs to return to simple and clear accounting rules, and get the government books back in the black. He also said it's time to elect a party leader prepared to say "No, I won't pull out the province's cheque book to sign up instant Tories to win a leadership race."

Many of his salvos seem aimed directly at Ms. Redford.

Ms. Redford was criticized by many of her own party members for not accepting the counsel of others, and not building strong relationships with either caucus or party members.

Another key scolding of her government was a new budgeting system put in place in early 2013 that saw the ledgers for operational spending, savings and capital all separated. The new system makes it difficult for opposition MLAs, journalists and other observers to compare budgets with previous years – and opened the door to criticism that the government was trying to hide billions in debt being accumulated to build roads, bridges, schools and other public infrastructure.

Ms. Redford also won the 2011 leadership race in part by bringing in large numbers of new party members, including signing up union members and people who usually vote for the Liberals or NDP – or as her detractors called them, "two-minute Tories." A key plank of her leadership campaign was a promise to restore $100-million in education funding, which attracted the support of the Alberta Teachers' Association.

While Mr. Dinning used the word "entitlement" or "entitled" at least five times, he didn't directly mention a number of expense controversies out of Ms. Redford's office this year, or the revelation last week that Ms. Redford had at one time planned to build a luxurious premier's suite at the top of a provincial building in Edmonton.

Mr. Dinning also made other more general points, including agreeing with the Wildrose party's idea of creating an Independent Budget Officer post, in the federal style, or calling for a Tory leader that can "reduce the poisonous political partisanship" in Alberta politics today.

For her part, Ms. Redford hasn't done interviews or made any public appearances following the announcement of her resignation on March 19. However, she continues to sit as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow. When the legislature resumes next week, all eyes will be on the house to see if she's there, and takes questions.

Kelly Cryderman is a reporter in the Calgary bureau.