Peter Downing (left) and Bill Jones (right). (Peter Downing on Twitter)

By David Opinko

Members to vote on forming “Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta”

Apr 27, 2020 | 11:40 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Wexit Alberta and the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta (FCP) are looking to become one.

The two groups have announced that an Agreement in Principle has been struck to unite them into what would become known as the “Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.”

“Since Eastern Canada re-elected Justin Trudeau, the Western independence movement has exploded,” says Wexit Alberta Executive Director Peter Downing. “Albertans have given Jason Kenney a chance to get a ‘fair deal’ for his people, and after one year, all we have seen is talk. Because Mr. Kenney and Ms. Notley are committed federalists, Ottawa knows that all they will do is talk.”

Under a new alliance, their top priority would be to seek “sovereignty” for Alberta.

On the FCP website, it says they want to abolish equalization and other “major wealth transfers out of Alberta”, and that if the federal government rejects this, they would hold a referendum to have Alberta separate from Canada.

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Members of both organizations will take part in an online referendum on June 29 to make the amalgamation and the formation of the new political party official. They would require a two-thirds majority.

“We have worked hard to include everyone interested in coming together for the greater good of Alberta to found a credible, viable, mainstream party to be the voice and vehicle of Alberta independence,” states FCP President Bill Jones. “If our members ratify the agreement that we present to them today, then we will radically upset the stale two-party, federalist monopoly that governs Alberta.”

While Elections Alberta has approved the name Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, members will be able to select a different name if they choose at a potential founding party convention.