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“Extremists are taking over” the PC party, Jansen said, leaving the party out of touch with how most Albertans think.

She also made several references to “dog-whistle politics” — a type of political speech using code words that appear to mean one thing to the general population, but have a different meaning for a targeted part of the audience — which she described as being “chilling to her.”

President-elect Donald Trump was accused of this tactic throughout the U.S. election campaign.

“I don’t believe that there has been anything moderate or pragmatic being offered or even discussed by the people intent on taking over the Progressive Conservative party,” she said Thursday.

“I was shocked by the bullying and the extreme views and intolerance that has characterized the PC leadership race.”

Kenney, the former Conservative MP running for the PC leadership on a platform of uniting the party with the more right-leaning Wildrose, did not make himself available for an interview but issued a statement.

He said he respected Jansen personally but she had been elected as a member of a “free enterprise party” and is now a member of “a socialist party … inflicting great economic damage on her Calgary constituents.”

“I believe that she owes it to her … constituents to decide in a byelection whether they support the views of this NDP government,” said Kenney.

The defection raises the NDP’s seat count in the 87-seat legislature to 55, while the Tories are reduced to eight members. The Wildrose has 22 seats and the Alberta Party and Liberals have one apiece. It also means the NDP has 16 seats in Calgary.