By CHAT News Today

Progressive Conservatives, Wildrose, plan to merge and create United Conservative Party

May 18, 2017 | 1:20 PM

EDMONTON— It’s official. The Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties are planning to merge.

“Today Jason Kenney and I are announcing we have an agreement in principle that would unify our parties under the united conservative banner,” said Wildrose leader Brian Jean at a hastily called press conference Thursday afternoon.

Kenney and Jean announced their plans to join the two right-of-centre parties into the United Conservative Party. A tentative agreement has been reached, though the deal still needs to be approved by members of both parties.

“This agreement ensures the defeat of this disastrous NDP government and the election of a free enterprise government that will renew the Alberta advantage,” said Kenney shortly after Jean made his opening remark.

However, Medicine Hat College Political Science Instructor Jim Groom doesn’t share Kenney’s view that unification will automatically guarantee the NDP’s defeat.

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“At the end of the rainbow has always been this idea that they’re going to beat the NDP simply by uniting, and I just don’t quite think it’s going to be that easy and simple for them.”

The merger requires 75 per cent of Wildrose members to approve, and 51 per cent of Progressive Members. If successful, a leadership committee will be set up, with plans to elect a new leader by October 28.

“I fully expect the next two months to be a full engagement, a full discussion process about the pros and cons of this agreement and let’s see going forward what our members think,” said Cypress-Medicine Hat Wildrose MLA Drew Barnes after the announcement.

The former Wildrose leadership candidate adds being at the helm of a potential United Conservative Party isn’t something he’s thought about.

“I have had several people around Alberta call me and ask and state they’d like to support me,” he admits though. “I’m just going to sit back and watch the next little while and see what develops.”

On the other side of the fence past Medicine Hat PC Association President Blake Pedersen says he was left scratching his head due to the lack of communication between the party and its members about the important announcement.

“When you find out on social media — or through the media in general — what’s happening within your own party versus direct emails to membership, it is a concern,” he said. “They have no trouble finding me when they want money.”

Kenney has said PC members will hold their unity vote sometime in July which is when Barnes figures the Wildrose will hold theirs as well.

-With files from Global News and Matt Nemeth.