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Kenney is widely seen as a frontrunner for the federal Conservative crown – if he wants the job. The federal Tories are expected to hold a leadership convention in the spring of 2017. But a Kenney campaign for the federal Tory leadership appears far from given.

With informal conversations underway in Alberta among some MLAs, political operatives and grassroots members about uniting the provincial Tories and Wildrose party, many conservatives hope Kenney will jump in and lead a united conservative party back into the premier’s office in 2019.

‘Kenney is sort of the last giant standing in Alberta politics on the right. If he decided to make (a) move, it would be seismic’

Kenney did not provide comment when contacted by the Citizen. The MP has given no public indication he has an interest in moving to provincial politics. Multiple sources actively involved in Alberta federal and provincial politics say Kenney is playing his cards very close to his chest.

However, some activists in the Wildrose and PC parties in Alberta believe he is a slam-dunk to lead an Alberta Conservative Party (or some other united right-of-centre movement) if he decides to pursue it.

“Kenney is sort of the last giant standing in Alberta politics on the right,” said one Alberta conservative closely watching the nascent unite-the-right discussions in that province. “If he decided to make some kind of move, it would be seismic,” said the source, who declined to be named.

If he made the move, Kenney would lead a new united party, many think, rather than run for the vacant PC leadership or go after the leadership of the Wildrose party, currently held by his former federal Conservative colleague, Brian Jean.