Alberta PCs set rules for leadership race to replace former premier Jim Prentice

Alberta's Progressive Conservatives have laid out the rules for their leadership contest, including retroactive finance disclosure and a rule forbidding candidates from doing anything that could harm the PC brand.

The race does not officially begin until Oct. 1 and Conservative MP Jason Kenney is the only candidate to publicly announce he is in the running to replace former premier Jim Prentice.

Kenney is running on a platform to merge the PCs with the Wildrose party to create a new right-centre party to challenge the NDP government.

Party president Katherine O'Neill won't say if Kenney's merger plan would violate the ban on harming the PC brand, saying she won't discuss hypotheticals.

She says the PC board of directors has decided that candidates will also have to disclose all spending and donations received in the pre-writ period, from June 30 to Oct.1.

Kenney has been raising money through a third-party organization known as Unite Alberta.

The party isstill going with a $30,000 non-refundable entrance fee for candidates.

However the board has decided to add a $20,000 "compliance fee,"O'Neill told CBC News.

Candidates who follow the rules of both the party and Elections Alberta will get this $20,000 back.If they don't, they'll forfeit it, she said.

O'Neillsays candidates will now have untilnoononNov. 10to formally enter the race. It had previously been aJan. 9deadline.

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