The Highwood MLA will follow his leader in an attempt to unite the right.
Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean announced last week he would support a united conservative party — one that would be under Wildrose principles.
“I am prepared to stand-down as leader of the Wildrose and to seek the leadership of our single, principled, conservative party in a race to be conducted this summer,” Jean said in a video released to the media last week.
His proposal would have one conservative party, using the Wildrose’s legal framework. He would not pursue the proposal unless he received the thumbs’ up from Wildrose members.
Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson has Jean’s back.
“Obviously, I am on board,” said Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson, MLA. “I think it is a wonderful opportunity for all Albertans to finally put together a unification strategy that makes sense for Alberta.
“We know we don’t want the NDP to get a toehold and get in for a second-term.”
The Rachel Notley-led NDP knocked off a Progressive Conservative Party 44-year dynasty when they won the 2015 the provincial election with 54 seats. The Wildrose remained the official opposition with 21 seats and the PCs were relegated to nine seats, forcing the resignation of party leader and former premier, the late Jim Prentice.
(At present, the NDP has 55 seats, Wildrose 22 and the PCs have eight).
The Progressive Conservative Party is holding a leadership vote in March. Candidate Jason Kenney, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, is running on a platform to unite conservatives in Alberta.
Jean said in the video he has heard from Albertans a desire to unite conservatives into one party. Anderson has heard similar feelings in the Highwood.
“Some of the old MLAs and some of the folks have said we have to get together and form a unified party and move forward for the sake of all Albertans,” Anderson said.
Anderson said it would make sense for the PCs to join the Wildrose fold, rather than the other way around.
“The Wildrose already has a fairly significant foundation,” he said. “Secondly, we are financially viable as a party.”
He said the PCs are heavily burdened with a debt.
RJ Sigurdson, president of the Highwood Progressive Conservative Association, said he was surprised by Jean’s announcement.
“In my opinion I didn’t think if the two parties were going to join it would happen under the Wildrose banner,” Sigurdson said. “(Jean’s) statement that unity would only happen under the Wildrose banner, caught me off guard. I do have a few concerns right now.”
He said the PC party is currently focused on the leadership race.
“I think there is an interest and a lot of people are getting re-involved in the PC party and they want an opinion on who the next leader is going to be and what direction and shape the party is going to form afterwards.”
