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The gloves are off between Alberta’s two right-of-centre parties after Wildrose Leader Brian Jean declared his intention to win over provincial Tories to his own party, which may be rebranded to include “conservative” in its new name.

Jean told Wildrose members in a telephone town hall on Tuesday that the idea of uniting with the Progressive Conservative party is dead, because his overtures on that front have been rejected.

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Instead, Wildrose will launch a series of town hall meetings across the province this summer to try to make it “a bigger and broader coalition of conservatives,” he said.

Jean said he wants Wildrose to welcome current and former Progressive Conservative supporters — as well as small-c conservatives who’ve never joined a political group — with the promise of a grassroots-driven party in which members determine changes to policy.

“I will remind them there are no sacred cows, that everything, including the party name, can be put to a vote, as long as the rules are properly followed,” said the Fort McMurray-Conklin MLA, who leads the official Opposition.