MLA Young to face caucus over ‘attack on leader’
Tory publicly chastised premier for $45,000 trip
EDMONTON — Tory MLAs rallied around Premier Alison Redford on Wednesday after her former party whip publicly chastised her for spending $45,000 on a trip to South Africa, but Steve Young will have to answer for his criticism in front of his caucus colleagues.
The Edmonton Riverview MLA was summoned by his successor as whip, George VanderBurg, to explain his comments, but the matter is expected to be raised Thursday at an all-day meeting of the Progressive Conservative caucus in Edmonton.
MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah said Young crossed the line of what is acceptable for MLAs to say about their own leaders, and has brought on a showdown with the premier.
“It’s essentially an attack on the leader,” Mensah said. “He has crossed the line and it’s an open challenge to the premier. It will be interesting to see how she responds to it.”
The danger of kicking Young out of caucus is that it could amplify the controversy and resurrect questions about her leadership just three months after Redford won a decisive review vote from PC party members, he said.
However, Redford has to respond in some way to demonstrate her control of caucus, Mensah added.
“There will be some kind of reckoning for Mr. Young, but the question is, is it an outright removal from caucus?” he said.
Both Redford and Young moved Wednesday to calm the political waters.
Redford’s press secretary Neala Barton said in an email that the premier is proud of the fact Conservative MLAs are able to speak their minds in their communities and in caucus.
“Steve Young simply echoed what the premier herself said — that mistakes were made and that she was disappointed by the costs,” Barton said.
“The premier has apologized and taken responsibility. That’s precisely what she’ll communicate to her caucus.”
Young said he will leave it for caucus to decide his fate.
“I don’t want to get into a back and forth in public,” he said. “This is not an issue between me and the premier. It’s about the whole
It’s essentially an attack on the leader. He has crossed the line and it’s an open challenge to the premier POLITICAL SCIENTIST CHALDEANS MENSAH
caucus.”
Young, a former Edmonton police sergeant who was appointed to cabinet in December and then abruptly dropped before the swearing-in ceremony, told the Herald on Tuesday that the premier’s spending of $45,000 “is inconsistent with Alberta values” and he wasn’t happy about it.
“People sometimes say to me: ‘Do you like the premier?’ Liking doesn’t have anything to do with it. If I’m going for a beer, I’m not gonna go with her. I’m more likely to go for a beer with (Wildrose MLA) Ian Donovan.”
Donovan supported his friend and political rival on Wednesday, saying Young was just doing his job.
“He was pretty politically correct on how he went about doing it and I think it was an issue that needed to be raised,” Donovan said from his Little Bow riding.
“I am glad to see it’s not just the opposition holding her accountable — that some of her own MLAs are hearing about it also when they go for coffee.”
Donovan said it would be a shame if Young was expelled from the PC caucus because he is “a straight shooter” and has a lot to offer.
“I don’t think Steve has anything to worry about,” he added.
Cabinet ministers and backbench MLAs were supportive of their leader, but reluctant to get drawn into the feud.
In Calgary, Education Minister Jeff Johnson said as far as he is concerned, the premier has dealt with the issue of her expenses for the South African trip.
“She apologized and she made it clear that if she had known what she knows now before she went on the trip, she wouldn’t have gone,” Johnson said.
“I think she did the right thing and my constituents tell me they think she did the right thing. It’s an unfortunate situation, but once you’re in that situation and the mistake has been made, you apologize and you move on.”
Calgary-East MLA Moe Amery said he didn’t think Young would leave the Tory caucus.
“We’re all in government to do the best for our constituents,” he said. “Our constituents are our bosses and we’re there to represent their views and make sure they are well represented. So I don’t see Steve leaving or thinking of leaving.”
Leduc-Beaumont MLA George Rogers said people need to say what is on their mind, but “there’s always the question of how you say it and where you say it.”
He said there was “a variety of opinion” among his constituents about the premier’s trip.
“It was certainly a legitimate trip for her to take,” Rogers said. “How? I guess that’s another story and I will let others write it.”
Calgary-Bow MLA Alana DeLong said Young should have raised his concerns in caucus.
“Since we’ve not discussed it in caucus, I’d rather not comment on it,” she said.