With the vote to decide whether or not the Wildrose Party and the PC Party will merge to form a United Conservative Party (UCP) less than two months away, a UCP information evening was held here in the Border City this past week.
The turnout was not as high as they would’ve liked, with only 20 people coming to the event, however Danny Hozack, the Wildrose Representative for Vermilion-Lloydminster says, “80% of people at the meeting voted to unite the right.”
He adds, “the people who were there, I think were quite excited about the discussion.”
The vote was one of two held by secret ballot that evening. The second vote was on who they would elect as party leader.
“There’s two obvious people putting their name in for party leadership, which is Brian Jean and Jason Kenney, but we asked are you supporting Brian, are you supporting Jason, or would you like to support another candidate.”
Hozack said the support for all options was split fairly evenly.
The feeling of support for the UCP party is one Hozack says he feels across the province.
“People are saying the surest way to be rid of Rachel Notley and some of these disastrous NDP policies is to get all conservatives working together.”
Former Wildrose Alliance party leader Paul Hinman says he has seen the same support for unity.
“In my travels around the province and people I’m talking to, there’s an overwhelming majority that say this current situation with a government that’s spending money like a drunken sailor, that are changing our education policies, changing our labour laws, changing how we’re farming is a real concern. People just say we need to get together.”
For the more moderate conservatives or far right conservatives who may be hesitant on the parties joining, Hozack says, “the sense that I have and the sense I think we got at the meeting was to a certain extent, let’s put some of this family feuding, let’s put it behind us. Let’s put the interest of Alberta first, let’s create a new party and we’ll sort out some of these more left and right issues as we move forward.”
Hozack adds he will be interested in seeing how Vermilion-Lloydminster MLA Dr. Richard Starke will respond.
“In this area we’re looking at the tone that Richard takes; if he is going to help take the province towards unity or if he is going to take a different approach.”
The vote on unification will be held on July 22nd. The PC Party needs 50% support while The Wildrose needs 75% to ratify the deal.
The Goat has reached out to Dr. Starke for a comment.