General

Did You Hear About the One Where Jeff Callaway Entered the UCP Leadership Race Solely to Sink Brian Jean?

Earlier today a video was being passed around from YouTube. It had no picture but purported to be Wendy Adam speaking with someone from the Highwood area about Jeff Callaway’s leadership bid for the United Conservative Party.  I listened to it right before dinner and then went back to the link after.  It was “unavailable”.  I tried another link.  It was “unavailable”.  

The link was a recorded conversation between a man and a woman talking about Jeff Callaway’s entry into the UCP leadership race.  “Jeff’s going to announce Thursday” the woman’s voice said.  She goes on to say that she spoke with Kenney about her decision to be on Callaway’s campaign. “He wasn’t pleased” she admits.  “It can’t just be Jason and Brian because then it’s just Wildrose against PC.”  She says this a few times during the conversation. “And we have another person in the race” she adds.

The male voice pipes up; “so then there’s two Wildrose and two PC.” “Well” the female voice says slowly, “Schweitzer isn’t really…” and trails off, “anything” the male voice finishes.  “He’s more liberal” adds the female voice. “Liberal, or like he should be in the Alberta Party,” he began; “you know Joel Windsor?  He ran for the Alberta Party here in 2015?  He couldn’t stop talking about Schweitzer.” 

And they continued on about Schweitzer for a brief moment.  “Callaway can say things about Brian that Jason can’t and he’s willing” she told him.  “So he’s going to be the kamakazi candidate” he asks. “Yes” she replies. 

This is from memory.  The recording was approximately 7 -10 minutes long and it was more difficult to hear her than him. I have no idea who was recording and if the other knew they were being recorded.

I cannot verify the authenticity of this recording.  I cannot verify who the male voice is nor that the female voice belongs to the person named.  Anyone with further information can certainly contact me; source confidentiality can be assured. [email protected]

Copy here: https://twitter.com/LukaszukAB/status/1072352305255723010

Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean

Social Media: @Mitchell_AB @ThisWeekInAB

1 reply »

  1. Progress Alberta copied the recording, and it is on their SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-572922748/inside-baseball-wendy-adams-used-jeff-calaway-to-run-an-illegitimate-campaign?fbclid=IwAR2wvKjxkUWzZTvzhTgvh2LHyYQhR2ZfsboHPZYgMlQJ8twCremvTFF19ao

    My name is Joel Windsor. This is my response to the sound recording, which I posted on my Facebook feed.

    “A soundclip is making the rounds discussing Jeff Callaway’s alleged “kamikaze” campaign to ensure Jason Kenney won the UCP leadership, namely at the expense of Brian Jean.

    I’m apparently mentioned in it. I would like to clarify a few things.

    I am not, nor have I ever been, a UCP member. I have never been a member of the UCP’s legacy party the Wildrose. I was a member of the other UCP legacy party the PC Party of Alberta in 2011 for a mere 3 months, cancelling after I could tell how Alison Redford’s leadership was going.

    I also currently have zero intention or desire to re-enter politics, even as a member of any party.

    I also did not support Doug Schweitzer in his bid for the UCP leadership. I did state that Schweitzer was the best leadership candidate from a socially progressive, fiscally conservative standpoint, but that is by no means an endorsement. I will never endorse a candidate who chooses to stand with a party that will out gay kids, will ‘shred’ a curriculum it hasn’t taken the time to understand, devalues teachers, and will see funding cuts in such a way that access to exemplary education will be based on how deep your pockets are.

    I seldom “rave” about a person. I do, however, rave about policies.

    I care about education, music education, and students. I will always advocate for them.

    I care about Highwood and Livingstone-Macleod, as this is my home. I will always advocate for my home.

    That includes who I believe will be the best representatives for these ridings. And what has been coming out of the Highwood UCP, and the UCP on the whole, is decidedly discouraging.

    There are many victims of individuals whose only goal is to achieve power. At this point, I believe all I can do is lend them moral support. I hope that whatever comes to light over the next few months will enable those victims to progress beyond the trials of today.”