Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney lands new gig at Calgary law firm
He will hold the position of senior adviser with Bennett Jones
Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney will be joining a Calgary law firm as a senior adviser.
The former United Conservative Party leader and 18th premier announced the development on Twitter on Wednesday, saying he was "very happy" to join the public policy group at Bennett Jones.
"Bennett Jones has deep Alberta roots and a major national presence. I look forward to working with a distinguished group of former elected officials & public servants," he wrote on Twitter.
Kenney said his relationship with Bennett Jones was reviewed by the province's ethics commissioner and found to be compliant with the Conflicts of Interest Act. The Office of the Ethics Commissioner confirmed its finding.
He said he will not be engaged in lobbying the Alberta government or its agencies.
Kenney isn't the first premier to join Bennett Jones. Peter Lougheed, who led the province from 1971 to 1985, became a partner at the firm after he left public office. Anne McLellan, former deputy prime minister, also works for Bennett Jones as a lawyer.
Kenney's time in public office spanned more than two decades, including provincial and federal politics.
He announced his resignation from the premiership last May following a narrow win at a leadership review. Kenney resigned from his seat as the MLA for Calgary-Lougheed in November.
Before taking the helm of Alberta's governing party, Kenney was the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party, which merged with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP.
Kenney, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997 as a Reform Party MP, was later part of then-prime minister Stephen Harper's cabinet.
In a statement, Bennett Jones made note of Kenney's insight into how to seize new opportunities in Canada's energy sector, build partnerships with Indigenous communities and attract investment.
Hugh MacKinnon, chairman and chief executive officer of Bennett Jones, said the former premier would bring both leadership and public policy experience to the firm and its clients.