Jim Prentice resigns after orange wave sweeps Alberta - Action News
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Elections

Jim Prentice resigns after orange wave sweeps Alberta

Shortly after winning his seat, former premier Jim Prentice announced he was stepping down after a big election loss brought an end to the Progressive Conservative Party's more than 40-year reign.

Question remains as to what will happen to the seat he was just elected in

Jim Prentice resigns

9 years ago
Duration 5:08
PC Leader Jim Prentice resigns during an election night speech, despite winning his seat

If the NDP surge in Alberta wasn't enough of a surprise,former premier Jim Prentice handed Albertans another shockon election day.

Shortly after winning his seat in Calgary-Foothills,Prentice announced he is stepping down as party leader and as an MLA after a big election loss brought an end to the Progressive Conservative Party's more than 40-year reign.

"My contribution to public life is now at an end," Prentice told supporters Tuesday night.

His resignation is effective immediately.

Prentice said he will now have more time to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren.

"It's been a great privilege to serve," said Prentice.

PC dynasty atan end

Prentice told CBC News earlier in the campaignthat he doesn't worry about legacies when asked if he feels the weight of the roughly 44-year-old Tory dynasty.

Alberta PC Party leader Jim Prentice has resigned as leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives. (Canadian Press)

"I feel the weight of responsibility of Alberta, in the circumstances that we're in which nobody expected. No one expected that oil prices to collapse," he said.

"No one expected that wewould lose close to 50,000 permanent jobs in this province in the last three months. Nobody expected we'd see a $7-billion crater open up in our public finances because of the collapse in oil prices."

He had asked Albertans to give him a mandate after bringing in a "bad-news" budget, but voters decidedthat Prentice will not stay as premier.