Resigning with optimism

I first joined the Alberta Alliance Party in 2005. They had some archaic policies which I worked actively to remove. When we later merged with the Wildrose group (who also had regressive social policies), I worked on the merger team and my focus was to ensure those policies never see the light of day.  And they didn’t.

In the early years I was involved with the leadership races as a volunteer and as party CFO.  As the first Executive Director of the (then) newly formed Wildrose Party, I oversaw the 2009 Leadership Election. It was with that background I was asked to Chair the 2015 Leadership Election Committee. 

I’ve always viewed the governance of the party as a high priority.

Earlier this year many people called and emailed me, asking if they could put my name forward to serve once again on the LEC (Leadership Election Committee) of the new UCP (United Conservative Party).  In July I was called upon to serve and I accepted. 

Since then the LEC has truly melded. There are no remnants of which party each of us came from. It is one cohesive group of UCP members.  It is comprised of many brilliant minds, who ask the questions that need to be asked, who can see past the politics and render fair decisions. The governance of the leadership race is in sound and secure hands.

Knowing this has made my decision to resign my position easier.

I believe I could have continued in the role and remained fair and unbiased. What I wasn’t sure of though, was how I would feel on October 28th, after the race if I hadn’t spoken up on the matter of who is the best suited to lead the UCP.

And clearly, I couldn’t do both. Thus today I have resigned and tomorrow I will expand further on who I will be supporting as the new UCP Leader.