MEDICINE HAT, AB — Newly elected PC leader Jason Kenney, and Wildrose leader Brian Jean, are meeting Monday to talk about a new plan to unite the right.
Kenney wants to dissolve the Progressive Conservative Party and create a new one with the Wildrose Party.
While the two parties are both right-wing, the policies are different.
Former PC MLA for Medicine Hat Jim Horseman said it can be a long “convoluted” process merging the two parties.
He said he is skeptical as he does not agree with some of the Wildrose policies.
One of the major issues that Horseman opposes is their position on property rates. He said Wildrose wants to include property rights in the Federal Charter of Rights, which he strongly disagrees with.
“I think that could lead to more ruled by appointed people rather than elected people and that’s a major concern to me,” said Horseman.
Current Wildrose MLA Drew Barnes also has concerns about the potential merger.
“There is some mistrust from the Wildrose side on the PCs because they have grown spending so much and government spending, and a lot of PCs aren’t warm to the Wildrose either,” Barnes said. “So we got to get these people together and see if there is enough common ground for us to put together something that will be the best government for Alberta.”
Both Barnes and Horseman said it all depends on what the policies of the new party will be and if the values of Wildrose members and values of PC members are similar enough to get together.
They said it is still too early to decide if a merger is a good idea.
