Alberta Conservative Party picks March 18 for their leadership vote

CALGARY – Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives say they will pick a new leader next spring.

Party president Katherine O’Neill sent out a tweet on Thursday night saying the race officially launches Oct. 1 in Lethbridge, Alta., with debates planned across the province.

She says the leader will be elected March 18 in Calgary.

Calgary-Hayes MLA Ric McIver has served as the PC’s interim leader after former premier Jim Prentice resigned following the party’s election loss to the NDP just over a year ago.

The Tories voted at their annual general meeting last month in Red Deer to adopt a process where delegates will be selected for a leadership convention, rather than a preferential ballot process where all party members would vote.

O’Neill has said holding the leadership convention next spring will allow time for constituencies to get ready for the change to the delegate system, as well as ensuring that the PC’s fall policy convention can proceed as scheduled.

There have been rumours that Calgary MP Jason Kenney might be coming home to unite Alberta’s two right-leaning provincial parties.

But the road could be bumpy — the Tories have said they aren’t keen to merge while the Wildrose caucus has said it would be happy to link up, but only under its banner and only with its leader, Brian Jean, calling the shots.