Alberta’s Jason Kenney raises concerns, warns ‘populism with a snarl’ not conservatism
Global News
Outgoing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney reflects on more than two decades in politics and where the conservative movement may be heading.
After 25 years in federal and provincial conservative politics, outgoing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he concerned about certain elements that appear to be taking over along the right of the political spectrum.
Pointing to the works of traditional conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, Kenney said an important tenet of conservative politics is recognizing the “prosperous and free society” handed down by past generations and being a custodian for future generations.
“Conservatism, therefore, means protecting what’s best about what we’ve inherited. Not being opposed to thoughtful reform, but being opposed to radical overnight change and the destruction of institutions,” Kenney told The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson in an interview airing in full on Sunday..
“And so some of what I see now, what I call ‘populism with a snarl,’ is not conservatism. It’s about tearing things down and blowing things up. And that concerns me.”
He said social media is a factor, saying leaders like former U.S. president Donald Trump legitimized anger and conspiracy theories.
“COVID put that on steroids,” Kenney said.
Kenney announced he was stepping down as the United Conservative Party leader in May after a leadership review left him with a narrow majority in favour of him continuing in the role.
In his May 18 leadership concession speech, he reflected that the previous two years of the COVID-19 pandemic “were deeply divisive for our province, our party and our caucus, but it is my fervent hope that in the months to come we all move on past the division of COVID.”
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