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EDMONTON, Alberta, March 18, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – According to a source with inside knowledge of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s ruling United Conservative Party (UCP), the provincial leader has placed a gag order on his caucus members, preventing them to voicing their opposition to COVID lockdowns.

“I know 100 percent as fact that Kenney gagged pretty much everyone,” a UCP insider who works as a high-ranking director in a large UCP Constituency Association (CA) told LifeSiteNews. 

The UCP source, who asked not to be named due to fears of being persecuted and expelled from the party, confirmed that the honeymoon phase for Kenney is long since over.

“There are a number of issues they are not allowed to talk about,” the UCP source told LifeSiteNews.

“Kenney has had some level of a gag on his caucus for some time, and he is known for micromanaging, and being very controlling.” 

“The information given to the public is highly choreographed and scripted,” said the UCP insider to LifeSiteNews.

“It is the main reason only pre-screened questions are allowed at virtual events. Kenney is quite afraid of being challenged, or asked a question he isn't prepared for.” 

The Alberta government, along with its health officials, has repeatedly stated that the health care system in the province would be overwhelmed were it not for COVID-19 lockdown measures, which have been in place for roughly a year.

However, an internal memo indicated that intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the Canadian province of Alberta were lower in 2020 than in 2019. According to statistics compiled by the JCCF, based on data from the government, the survival rate in Alberta from COVID-19 is 99.96 percent.

Since the jailing of Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church (Grace Life) in Spruce Grove, Kenney, and his UCP government have come under increased fire from many who oppose lockdowns, including some MLA’s within his party base.

Although Coates will soon be released after the Crown Prosecutor agreed to drop most of his charges Wednesday, Kenney’s stance on COVID lockdowns, especially surrounding restricting church services to 15 percent capacity, has spelled trouble for him. 

Indeed, Kenney's recent “gag order” on those in his caucus has seemingly not stopped increasing calls for a leadership review. 

Only recently, a total of six UCP MLA’s went public to show their anger over the flip-flopping of Kenney backtracking on planned COVID-related restriction relaxations.  

According to party rules, if 50 percent of the CAs ask for it, a special leadership vote could be triggered. 

Last Friday it was reported that an internal email from the UCP stated that indeed there will be a leadership review for Kenney, however, it will not take place until 2022, just 6 months before the next provincial election in 2023.

“We reviewed the advice, and passed a resolution that a leadership review is to be held at our AGM in 2022,” said UCP President Ryan Becker in an email acquired by the CBC.

Earlier this week a member of the UCP board in the riding of Taber-Warner quit in protest over the long delay before the leadership review will take place. 

“Quite frankly this is an unacceptable decision to do the absolute minimum, as late as possible, to attempt to address growing dissatisfaction with the current leadership,” wrote UCP board member for Taber-Warner Brian Hildebrand  in a letter to the party this past Monday. 

“Party brand is being irreparably damaged by the unwillingness or inability of leadership to abide by the principles of the party which was passed by party members on October 16, 2020.”

Kenney was once known as an ardent supporter of free speech and for his pro-life views. However, a few years ago, shortly before his party came to power, Campaign Life Coalition warned about Kenney’s “rapid slide to the left.”

Kenney had an excellent pro-life voting record during his time as a federal member of Parliament, but this changed when he became a politician at the provincial level.

In 2018, Kenney, and most of his United Conservative Party caucus, abstained from voting against a bill from the then-NDP government that banned pro-lifers from standing outside Alberta abortion facilities.

Kenney said at the time that he was not going to be “playing games” on social issues.

His comments met with a fierce backlash from Campaign Life Coalition’s Jeff Gunnarson, who said of Kenney’s non-vote: “The NDP are not playing games. They are trampling on pro-lifers’ rights whenever they can get away with it, and shame on Kenney for not standing up for basic human rights and freedoms.”