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Various groups have been pushing unite the right efforts since the 2015 election that saw the NDP sweep to power but the Tories and Wildrose have been cool to their work. Jean and McIver turned down invitations to speak at the Red Deer meeting, which was organized by a number of veterans of both parties.

Rick Orman, a former Tory cabinet minister and leadership candidate who was one of the main drivers of Saturday’s event, said the next step will include more meetings and the formation of a steering committee.

He said the PCs and Wildrose should pay attention to the meeting’s result but that ultimately it shows there is a conservative movement in the province bigger than the existing parties.

“The fact of the matter is the people in this room obviously don’t identify with either of the two parties,” said Orman.

“You sort of have to get yourself to a zen state around it. Like, they don’t matter. The infrastructure doesn’t matter — the PC infrastructure and the Wildrose infrastructure has nothing to do with this or the momentum this will create. And they’re not needed. They’re welcome but they’re definitely not needed.”

However, Wildrose MLA Jason Nixon said in a statement that forming another party would only divide the right, calling it “folly.”

“Wildrose will continue to have grassroots discussions with principled conservatives about becoming an even broader and more inclusive big tent party,” he said.

No sitting PC or Wildrose MLAs were in attendance but Chris Warkentin, the Conservative MP for Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, was among the crowd.