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Kenney, a former Conservative MP, is running for the PC leadership on a platform of uniting the Tories and Wildrose into a new “Conservative Party of Alberta.” His rivals in the race, Calgary lawyer Byron Nelson, former St. Albert MLA Stephen Khan and Vermilion-Lloydminster MLA Richard Starke are opposed to the merger idea and want to rebuild the party under the PC brand.

Neither Wildrose nor the PCs bar their members from holding memberships in other parties at the same time. In Harper’s letter, he points out that Wildrose members can stay with the party while also supporting Kenney.

On Harper’s intervention in the campaign, Callaway said he respects the former prime minister and his right to get involved.

“He’s now a private citizen. He can comment and support whom he pleases,” he said.

But Wildrose MLA Don MacIntyre thinks it would be better for Harper to keep out of provincial politics.

“I would have preferred that Mr. Harper retire and stay out of it, and not try to influence this whole thing one way or the other,” he said Wednesday.

“Let people sort this out for themselves.”

MacIntyre said he believes Wildrose members would be better off not getting involved in the PC race, leaving it up to Tories to figure out the direction of their party.

Wildrose Leader Brian Jean — who, like Kenney, served as an MP under Harper — was not made available for an interview Wednesday.

Harper has already played a significant role in Kenney’s campaign since his last Stampede BBQ as an MP in the summer, when he endorsed his former lieutenant from the stage. At the PC convention earlier this month, Harper gave a closed-door speech to young Kenney supporters who had been bused in by the campaign to vote in PC Youth Association executive elections.