Wildrose’s Jean says party must grow for unity deal to work
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said Tuesday that the time for a unity deal with the Progressive Conservatives is now, while Wildrose is in a position of strength.
Earlier this month, Jean and PC Leader Jason Kenney announced that negotiators from each party had agreed on a deal to form a new “United Conservative Party.”
The deal will need 50 per cent approval by Tories but Wildrose members will need to back the deal at a level of 75 per cent support in an annual general meeting for it to go ahead.
At a local party event dubbed “Let’s Work it Out,” Jean told reporters he’s faced “tough questions” about the deal but he’s offering assurances to his members the agreement provides a “mirror image” of Wildrose’s constitution, bylaws and founding principles.
“This is a tremendous opportunity,” he told the crowd at Jubilations Dinner Theatre.
“If we’re going to unite some time these two parties, if we’re going to unite some time in the next 20 years, I think this is the time because Wildrose, because of you, is strong and they are weak.”
Jean said the “secret weapon” in the deal is that current Tories would have more rights as party members in the new party than they do now. He thanked the Tories who were in the room, including PC negotiating team member Sonia Kont and former MLA Christine Cusanelli, for being open-minded to the new party.
While he expects PC members to easily approve the agreement, Jean said the 75 per cent threshold for Wildrose is “the biggest hurdle we have” and he is working hard to sell Wildrose memberships.
“Ultimately, we believe the more Albertans that participate, the more likely unity is to happen. That is the biggest challenge in front of us right now.”
The Wildrose website says a special meeting has been scheduled for Red Deer on July 22. James Cole, a member of the party’s executive and its unity negotiating team, told the crowd that there will be provisions for electronic voting for members unable to attend.
The PC dynasty governed Alberta for more than 40 years before the NDP’s shock victory in the 2015 provincial election.
Wildrose was founded nearly a decade ago by conservatives disgruntled by the Tory government’s energy royalty review and big-spending ways.
Under the agreement, the old parties would amalgamate as societies but the UCP would be a new party starting from scratch under Elections Alberta rules.
In a question-and-answer session with the crowd, Jean faced questions about what would happen if the deal narrowly fell through and suggestions that NDP members would join Wildrose to try to sabotage the deal.
Jean said he had seen no evidence so far that was happening.
One Wildrose member said there are still lingering questions among some members about why Wildrose would join with a “corrupt” PC party and said he would have liked to see a provision in the deal barring former MLAs from running for the new party’s nominations.
Jean brushed off a question about how he and Kenney get along. “I don’t think that really comes into play here,” said Jean.
“It’s not about relationships between myself and Mr. Kenney, it’s about what my job is.”