The Wildrose is back in Alberta – and this time they want the province to leave Confederation

The Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta (FCP) and Wexit Alberta have decided to join forces and, if members approve, will be called the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.

The FCP’s Bill Jones and Wexit’s Peter Downing signed the agreement to merge on Monday.

“The people of Alberta, having been exploited by the federal government since its establishment as a province in 1905, and having attempted in good faith for generations to seek reconciliation without resolution, require a political vessel with which to sever or radically redefine its ties with the federal government,” the two parties said in a release.

“Therefore, the members of Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta (FCP) and Wexit Alberta commit to bind themselves together in the establishment of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, hereafter referred to as the “WIP” or “the Party”.

It’s founding principles state: Alberta will be strong, free, and sovereign; Alberta will sever all ties of domination from the federal government; Alberta will immediately repatriate all powers granted to it under the constitution as it seeks to sever or radically redefine its current relationship with the federal government.

“Alberta will establish its own constitution and its own Charter of Freedoms. Alberta’s government will hold the freedom of its citizens as its highest responsibility,” the release said.

“Today’s unification agreement is the fulfillment of more than nine months of negotiations representing the direction we were given by our members after the last election,” said FCP President Bill Jones.

“They told us to reach out to other parties and organizations that support freedom and sovereignty for Alberta, and we have done so with an outstretched hand. 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. 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.”

Wexit Alberta Executive Director Peter Downing said in a statement: “Since Eastern Canada re-elected Justin Trudeau, the Western independence movement has exploded. 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.

“The time has come for all Alberta sovereigntists in all parties and organizations to come together behind a single, unified and credible party that can do what we are unable to do apart. 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,” said Downing.

Both parties will set up a remote, online vote on the potential merger to be held June 29.

If the ratification vote is approved, 15 members of each party will sit on the interim board of directors.

That board’s first acts will be to select an interim leader and set up a founding annual general meeting, to be held within three months.

After the founding meeting, a leadership campaign would be held.

––– More to come

Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard

dnaylor@westewrnstandardonline.com

TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694