EXCLUSIVE MLAs say Brian Jean challenged caucus member to fight
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Summary
Brian Jean challenged his colleague Shane Getz into a fistfight as tensions rose during a caucus meeting in which MLAs decided who would lead the party and government, sources in the UCP caucus have told the Western Standard.
Transcript
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UCP MLA and leadership hopeful Brian Jean challenged his colleague Shane Getz into a fistfight
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as tensions rose during last week's caucus meeting in which MLA's decided who would lead the party
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and government, sources in the UCP caucus have told the Western Standard. The UCP caucus met
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for six hours on May 19 before deciding Premier Jason Kenney will stay on until a new leader and
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premier is chosen. Kenney announced the previous night his intention to resign as leader. After a
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leadership review revealed he has the support of just 51.4% of the UCP membership. According to
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numerous sources, Jean interrupted the proceeding multiple times during the meeting. The events
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were confirmed to the Western Standard by five MLAs who were in the room when the altercation occurred.
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They are being granted anonymity since they are not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.
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Sources said Jean intervened in the caucus meeting repeatedly until, quote, MLA's Jane Getzen said
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something along the lines of, look, Brian, you got to stop talking because every time you open your
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mouth, you lose support, end quote. Sources told the Western Standard Jean was visibly upset and moved
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towards Getzen and said, quote, let's take this outside, end quote. At this point, MLA Devin Dreeshan put
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his hand on Jean's left shoulder to push or hold Jean in his chair, according to the MLAs. The accounts of
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MLAs who spoke with the Western Standard do not all confirm if Jean stood up and moved towards
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Getzen. One MLA confirmed the details of the story, but could not say definitively if they saw Jean rise
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from his chair. They confirmed Dreeshan intervened to restrain Jean. Quote, he definitely got out of his
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chair and was moving in the direction of Mr. Getzen, said another who described Jean's movements as a
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lunge towards Getzen. One MLA said Jean tried to get up, but was unable as he was being restrained by both
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Dreeshan and MLA Jason Luan. Another source said Jean came into the meeting upset and was, quote,
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looking for a fight, end quote. Getzen was beaking at Jean with comments like, you don't do yourself
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any favors, the source said. One described the incident as very awkward, while another said it
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was remarkably tense. Beyond Dreeshan's restraint, there was no physical contact between Jean or anyone
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else, sources said. Jean told the Western Standard there was no altercation and refused to comment
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further, citing caucus confidentiality. Nothing like that happened, Jean said. An altercation? That's
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ridiculous. In a statement to the Western Standard, Shane Getzen said, quote, I respect caucus
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confidentiality and as such have no comment to provide regarding conversations, debates, or interactions
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between colleagues and caucus meetings. One MLA said they were unconcerned for their safety because
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the men involved are, quote, old and out of shape, end quote. But another MLA said a lot of female
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caucus members, quote, feel Brian's actions are unhinged, end quote. Jean was elected to represent
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Fort Marie Lac La Biche after running in a March by-election to take Kenny's job. Prior to running,
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Jean publicly criticized Kenny's COVID leadership and called for the Premier's resignation.
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Just ahead of the caucus meeting, Jean told reporters Kenny must immediately resign to allow for a new
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interim leader and Premier. Quote, the healing process can't start until Jason Kenney leaves.
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He knows that. We know that. And we need to start the renewal process of the UCP, end quote.
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Leading up to the altercation, sources said Jean used his interventions to slander people in the room
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and call his colleagues' names. He also made crazy and inflammatory claims about the RCMP that didn't
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reflect how the criminal justice system operates, several sources said. Jean told MLAs they were going
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to jail soon, that he was smarter than all of them, and that he knows Kenny better than anyone else,
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one MLA told the Western Standard. Quote, every time he opened his mouth, it was crazy and out there,
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end quote. Another MLA said. MLAs in the room grew frustrated, multiple sources said. Quote,
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Brian is just a difficult person to listen to, one MLA said. He's difficult to understand and follow,
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end quote. Sources said Getson thought the whole thing was ridiculous and said after the meeting,
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Jean showed his true colors. MLAs also said while UCP caucus meetings can be lively, nothing remotely
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similar has ever occurred. Quote, for someone to be doing that to another person in their caucus,
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it is totally insane, end quote, one MLA said. Jean has been clear about his intentions to run for
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the UCP leadership. He's yet to officially launch his bid. After the Progressive Conservatives and the
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Wild Rose Party merged to create the UCP in 2017, Jean came second to Kenny in the leadership contest.
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But the race has been fraught with allegations of cheating, and an RCMP investigation is ongoing.
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Rachel Emanuel for the Western Standard, reporting from Calgary.