Wexit Alberta is looking to merge with the Freedom Conservative Party. The groups say they have reached an Agreement in Principle and will be asked their members to vote on whether they should unite to become the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.
The Wexit movement was largely formed out of the re-election of Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister in 2019, primarily based on separatist sentiments. The Freedom Conservative Party emerged in 2018, and refers to itself as a coalition of grassroots conservatives, libertarians and Alberta patriots.
The leaders of both parties say they have been working on the merger for more than nine months and invited other “sovereigntist parties” to the table as well.
“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,” says 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.”
“The Wildrose Independence Party is here to put Ottawa and the federalists on notice: Alberta independence has arrived, and it will fight on until Alberta is free,” adds Wexit Alberta Executive Director Peter Downing.
In the 2019 provincial election, the FCP ran 24 candidates including Jim McKinnon, who started out on the Bonnyville- Cold Lake- St. Paul ballot before switching to the Vermilion – Lloydminster – Wainwright card. The party failed to win any seats in the election.
An online referendum will be held on June 29th. A two-thirds super-majority is required by the FCP for the resolution to pass, and if ratified by both parties, the WIP will be formed.
It’s reported Elections Alberta has approved the name “Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta”, but members could choose another.
Written by Erica Fisher, MyGrandePrairieNow.com