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Wildrose Leader Brian Jean says he will soon present a better path forward for conservative unity than a party merger — even as one of his MLAs, Derek Fildebrandt, is calling for his party to amalgamate with the Progressive Conservatives.

The notion of uniting the right has become a key issue in Alberta politics, with former Conservative MP Jason Kenney running for the Tory leadership on a platform of merging the parties.

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But Jean told Postmedia Thursday that Kenney’s initiative won’t fly and he intends to present a plan that will actually work.

He provided few details but suggested it could include ways for the Wildrose and PCs to co-operate without a formal merger.

“It has to be something palatable to both sets of members,” said Jean. “And I think that our plan is, quite frankly, much more palatable to both sets of members.”

Jean said a year ago his party was willing to reach out on the grassroots levels to the Tories in an attempt to form a “consolidated conservative coalition.” But he shelved the idea in the spring when the PC convention rejected the merger idea and he has been cool to Kenney’s campaign.