A cut to public funding for private schools, a new model taxation model and an income top-up for the working poor are among the policies under consideration as the Alberta Party looks toward the 2019 election at its annual general meeting in Edmonton Saturday.

The party, which characterizes itself as centre-right on the political spectrum, is holding its first AGM with Stephen Mandel as party leader.

Last year's annual general meeting was held in the wake of Jason Kenney's election as leader of the United Conservative Party, following a merger of the former Progressive Conservative and Wildrose Parties.

Kenney's win prompted some PCs to move to the Alberta Party. Stories about the AGM focused on attendees like former cabinet ministers Doug Griffiths and Stephen Khan, former MLAs Dave Quest and Kerry Towle and former PC party president Katherine O'Neill.

One year later, Alberta Party members are looking forward to the 2019 election. The party has three MLAs in the legislature, Mandel as its leader and is nearly halfway to its goal of having Alberta Party candidates in each of the province's 87 ridings.

Quest is running in the Strathcona-Sherwood Park constituency he represented as a PC MLA from 2008 to 2015. He says people are open to the idea of the Alberta Party as they want to vote for something new and positive.

"They don't want to vote against something," Quest said. "They want to vote for something."

Sue Timanson, the Alberta Party's candidate in Sherwood Park, is a former vice-president and regional director on the PC's provincial executive.

She expects the AGM will launch her into a winter of door-knocking.

"We need the positive energy that's going to come out of this weekend and propel us right through to the spring," Timanson said.

Not everyone is an Alberta Party newcomer. Beth Barberree ran in Calgary-Hawkwood in 2015. This time she is a candidate in Calgary-Varsity, where incumbent NDP MLA Stephanie McLean isn't running again.

"It really opens up a whole different kind of dialogue with folks," Barberree said. "I'm finding a lot of folks at the doors are really looking for...having a positive outcome and not the divisiveness we've seen in the past."

Sales tax?

After hearing speeches from Mandel and former leader and Calgary-Elbow MLA Greg Clark, members will discuss and vote on at least 11 resolutions in the afternoon policy sessions.

The resolution about implementing a new taxation model doesn't mention a sales tax by name.

Instead it says an Alberta Party government would review government spending and implement a "balanced and sustainable taxation model to maintain a consistent and reliable revenue stream."

Party members like Clark and former leadership candidate Kara Levis, who is running in Calgary-Klein, have talked about the need for a consumption tax.

However, Mandel said during the leadership race that a tax should be put to Alberta voters through a referendum.

Another resolution proposes reducing the amount of government funding given to private schools to 50 per cent a student, down from the current 70 per cent provided by the provincial government.

The resolution notes that out of the five provinces to give public money to private schools, Alberta provides the highest level of funding.

There would be no change in funding for private schools for children with special needs.

Members will also vote on a resolution that proposes an income top-up program to provide benefits to low-income people while giving them incentive to keep working.

A resolution to appoint a citizens committee to look at alternatives to the first-past-the-post electoral citizen is included in the policy package but may not be discussed as it is not among the resolutions scheduled for debate.