THE RISE AND FALL OF A POLITICIAN WITH BIG AMBITIONS

Derek Fildebrandt was once one of the most high-profile figures on the Alberta political scene, a firebrand MLA with aspirations to a major role in a future conservative government.

Fildebrandt made his name as the brash Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, where he lashed out at what he saw as government excess and unscrupulous actions by provincial politicians.

In 2015, he formally entered politics, backing Brian Jean for the leadership of the Wildrose and standing as a candidate for the party, which was reeling from the mass floor-crossing of MLAs to the then-PC government.

After winning the Strathmore-Brooks riding, Fildebrandt was named by Jean as Opposition finance critic, where his outspoken attacks on the NDP’s financial practices made him a thorn in the side of Premier Rachel Notley’s government.

But the relationship between Jean and Fildebrandt soured over time. In 2016, Fildebrandt was suspended from the Wildrose caucus for what he said was an inadvertent endorsement of a homophobic social media post, though the suspension was quickly reversed.

The MLA was an early supporter of efforts to unite the Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose and publicly backed Kenney’s efforts on that front, which helped lead to the formation of the UCP last summer.

Fildebrandt started a libertarian political action committee named United Liberty and mused publicly about entering the UCP leadership race. While he bowed out of the contest, Fildebrandt was expected to play a significant role in the campaign as a backer of Kenney and critic of Jean. That notion fizzled when it was revealed he had rented out his taxpayerfunded apartment on Airbnb and double-dipped on meal expenses.