The Wildrose Party leader believes his party would defeat the NDP government in an election, but he continues to support efforts to form a new entity with Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives.
Despite believing his party could come out on top in the next provincial election if a merger isn’t successful, Brian Jean told supporters at the Okotoks Business Expo on April 28 he doesn’t want to take a risk of the NDP edging out another surprise victory.
“There’s always a risk with elections,” he said. “I was hoping to win last time and I didn’t, we got official opposition status.”
Jean said he isn’t just thinking about the next provincial vote, but further down the line to successive elections in the future. He said it’s about building a solid base that can be successful into the future.
“We need decades of good governance here in Alberta,” said Jean. “We don’t want to go back and forth between, for instance, a Wildrose Party and the NDP, or a Wildrose Party and the PC Party. What I think we need and what Albertans want is stability from one leader, one government to come in and make this province better.”
His comments came as recent polls conducted by Mainstreet Research, commissioned by Postmedia, show the Wildrose Party ahead of the NDP, while the second-place PC Party didn’t receive any boost with the selection of Jason Kenney as leader.
Jean said he doesn’t intend to use the polls for any form of leverage in merger talks.
“I don’t think it’s about who’s in a stronger position, it’s about how we can put out a good proposal so the members can agree to accept that proposal,” he said.
Jean said he wants to preserve the Wildrose’s grassroots principles.
He said the party’s constitution requires 75 per cent of its members to vote in favour of a merger agreement with the PCs. Jean said he’s hopeful of some form of agreement in the coming weeks that can then be put out to members to decide on.
It’s too early to say what the new party, or its internal membership composition, could look like, said Jean. However, he plans to seek the leadership if the merger is successful.
Balanced budgets, cutting red tape and lowering taxes are among his guiding beliefs, said Jean.
“Many people don’t believe that, so I think those people need to find a different home,” he said. “We are looking at a political realignment in Alberta of the political spectrum and I’m hoping the Wildrose or the entity the Wildrose becomes will come through this stronger and more fierce than ever before.”
