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Hunter says public sentiment favours united right

Jan 27, 2017 | 10:15 AM

CARDSTON – The Wildrose MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner says this is what most people have been calling for.

Grant Hunter supports leader Brian Jean’s indication that he will resign and run to lead a united right party, if that’s what Wildrose members want. And he says people shouldn’t be surprised by that position.

“I think that Albertans will be happy about that,” Hunter said in an interview. “But remember, Brian Jean said over a year ago that he’s got his dance shoes on; he’s just looking for a dance partner. And Jason Kenney stood up and said, look, if you’re genuine about that I will run for the PC leadership, and I will be that dance partner if I win. And Jason seems to be doing very well in his campaign.”

Hunter said initial polling shows support for that position as well, in excess of 80 per cent within both parties. He also feels the success of the Harper Conservatives, formed from the merger of the PC and Canadian Alliance movements, shows conservatives of different stripes can work together.

But he also argued against Richard Starke’s proposal. Starke, who is running against for t he PC leadership, said the two parties could simply work together, without merging, to defeat the NDP.

“One of the problems with a coalition government is that if we want to jumpstart our economy in 2019, international investors are looking for a stable, business friendly government, and coalition governments are not stable. So if you really care about the economy and getting back to work, we won’t go the coalition way,” Hunter said.