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The race for PC leader officially begins on Oct. 1 and will culminate in a delegated convention next March. Kenney is running on a platform of uniting the PCs with the Wildrose, which has caused consternation within some wings of the Tory party.

But Dinning praised the MP for being “transparent” in his goals and said he sees no problem with Kenney’s approach.

“It’s entirely consistent with other candidates who want to strengthen the PC party and make it attractive enough for former supporters to come back and vote for the PC party. All Jason is doing is saying, we need to unite conservatives in this province. I don’t hear a lack of progressivism in what he has to say,” said Dinning.

Former Tory cabinet minister Donna Kennedy-Glans became the second contender in the contest when she confirmed this week she intends to run for leader.

Also among those in attendance for Kenney’s speech was Susan Elliott, the PC campaign manager in the party’s 2012 election win.

She believes that Kenney’s unite-the-right message does not have majority support among current PC party ranks but he could bring in new members to win the day.

Elliott acknowledged she herself is unlikely to back Kenney, as she is not in favour of merging the PCs and Wildrose, but wanted to hear him out, especially on issues such as education and health.

“I want to know if he has more than one trick,” she said before the speech.

Kenney focused solely on economic and fiscal issues in his address but was asked in the media scrum his position about two private religious schools that are refusing to comply with legislation that gives students the right to form gay-straight alliances (GSA’s).

NDP Education Minister David Eggen has said the schools could lose their provincial funding over the issue.

Kenney said the bill allowing GSAs was passed unanimously by the legislature but “freedom of association and freedom of religion are also the law of the land.”

“I would hope the Alberta government would seek a generous, sensible balanced approach,” said Kenney.

“(Eggen) and his officials should meet with any schools in question to try and work out a sensible Alberta compromise.”

jwood@postmedia.com