Unity framework shouldn’t become barrier: Wildrose
Wildrose house leader Nathan Cooper says party leader Brian Jean’s conditions for unifying Alberta’s conservatives shouldn’t be seen as a stumbling block to uniting the right.
Jean recently came out in favour of uniting conservatives in a single party, announcing he would step down from Wildrose’s top job to seek the new party’s leadership if it is approved by Wildrose and Progressive Conservative members.
But Jean’s comments that unification must happen on an accelerated time frame with Wildrose as the legal framework — meaning PC members would join a rebranded Wildrose — have caused a stir in some quarters.
In Tuesday’s Progressive Conservative leadership debate, candidates Byron Nelson and Richard Starke said Jean’s statements show that fellow candidate Jason Kenney’s unification push amounted to an unworkable attempt to create “Wildrose 2.0.”
Jean was not made available for an interview Wednesday.
But Cooper offered reassurances that the leader’s terms are not a deal breaker.
“I don’t think he’s stalling or trying to create a challenge,” Cooper said in an interview.
“I don’t think at any point of time he said, ‘If you don’t do this, this is not going to happen.’ I don’t believe that’s his intention or his desire.”
Cooper noted that Jean is currently on the road holding town halls on unity, listening to what Albertans have to say on the issue.
“We will proceed forward based on the feedback that we receive,” he said. “He has a desire to do this in as open and transparent way as possible.”
Kenney, the former MP widely seen as the front-runner in the PC leadership contest, has said he is encouraged by Jean’s openness to uniting conservatives.
But in a video statement released on his Facebook page Tuesday, Kenney said, “Unfortunately, Brian suggested there were some preconditions.”
Kenney said he believes the best path forward is the formation of a new party, though he said that would be subject to negotiations.
Former PC cabinet minister Rick Orman, a staunch proponent of uniting the Wildrose and PC membership, said Wednesday that Jean is setting up obstacles with his terms.
“I’m frustrated ... because I don’t think Brian Jean is playing it straight up,” said Orman, who has backed Kenney.
“Their game plan is to get PC members to fold into Wildrose. That’s just wrong. That approach
Their game plan is to get PC members to fold into Wildrose. That’s just wrong.
is not open.”
The Tories will pick their new leader in a delegated convention on March 18. Nelson and Starke are opposed to Kenney’s unification platform and want to rebuild the party under the PC brand.
Kenney received support Wednesday from the Wildrose association at the University of Calgary, which said it backed him over Jean for the leadership of a new conservative party.
In a statement on the campus group’s resolution, Wildrose Party executive director Jeremy Nixon said, “We welcome the input of all grassroots members.”
“We continue to focus on consulting with our members on the path forward for conservative unity and have been overwhelmed with the strong support Brian has received in every community he’s been in so far.”