(Watch: In the wake of four byelection defeats, the Wildrose Party is making some changes. But, as Tom Vernon explains, they come while rifts in the party are made public.)
EDMONTON – Wildrose MLA Joe Anglin has announced that he will leave the party to sit as an independent.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page Sunday morning, the Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA said he has written a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly requesting to sit as an independent, effective immediately.
“It is no secret that I have been a round peg in a square hole in the Wildrose Party,” the statement reads.
“I speak my mind. I bring different experiences and a different point of view to the caucus than my colleagues.”
Anglin goes on to say that while he is proud to have worked with his caucus colleagues, behind closed doors the Wildrose Party has “increasingly lost focus on its original mission of creating a true grassroots party.” He also says the party and its leadership are in crisis.
“It (the Wildrose Party) has been caught up in a civil war between ideologues and pragmatists, with staff, volunteers, and even MLAs being placed into and forced out of positions with alarming frequency. As a result of poor management and infighting, there will be a motion today by my leader, Danielle Smith, to have me removed from caucus.”
On Monday, Smith told reporters today that she believed Anglin was secretly recording caucus meetings and his departure had resolved many issues facing the party.
“There was some concern that whatever we said in full, frank discussion was potentially being recorded,” said Smith.
“I do not have any proof of that other than the fact he did provide tapes of the Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Airdrie (annual general meeting) and obviously somebody was there recording it on his behalf.”
Anglin said the allegations are ridiculous and unbecoming for a party that hopes to become government some day.
“It makes me sad. I’ve been around a bit longer than some of them.
“It’s childish.
“It’s immature and if you want to be government … you can’t be acting like that. That’s silly,” he said in a telephone interview.
“To make a claim that I would secretly record like I’m James Bond, it doesn’t sound rational. It doesn’t warrant a reply. It’s sad.”
Anglin said he wasn’t considering legal action against the Wildrose for Smith’s remarks.
“If they keep it up to the point it causes a lot of harm, maybe I would, but right now I’m ashamed they would stoop so low and I don’t feel like going down to that level at the moment.”
On Sunday morning, Smith responded to Anglin’s resignation in a statement of her own.
“On behalf of my Wildrose caucus colleagues, I thank Mr. Anglin for his service to Albertans.”
Read Anglin’s full statement below:
“I have written the Speaker of the Assembly, the Hon. Gene Zwozdesky this morning and requested that I be seated as an independent MLA, effective immediately.
It is no secret that I have been a round peg in a square hole in the Wildrose Party. I speak my mind. I bring different experiences and a different point of view to the caucus than my colleagues. This has never been an issue for me: a strong party is made stronger by a variety of opinions. A party that wants to govern a province as big and diverse as ours must be a big tent.
I also believed then – as I do now – that a change of government was one of the most important policies of all. On that point, we were united in our common cause: constructing a real alternative to the Redford government.
Unfortunately, that unity wasn’t destined to last. Behind closed doors, the party has increasingly lost focus on its original mission of creating a true grassroots party. It has been caught up in a civil war between ideologues and pragmatists, with staff, volunteers, and even MLAs being placed into and forced out of positions with alarming frequency. As a result of poor management and infighting, there will be a motion today by my leader, Danielle Smith, to have me removed from caucus. To be honest, this is upsetting but not surprising. It was clear by the way the party executive mishandled my nomination process last June, and by the way they mismanaged the past four by-elections something needs to be corrected.
The Wildrose Party is now at a crossroads. The Party’s interference in local constituency matters and its lack of respect for the democratic process must be corrected if this party is to continue. While I am proud to have worked with my caucus colleagues, and share in their many accomplishments, the party and its leadership are in crisis.
This party was founded on the principles of a grassroots democracy. It is now infested with an unelected backroom weed that is choking off the grassroots movement. I still have the highest regard for Danielle Smith as a person. She is intelligent and thoughtful, but in saying this I have little respect for the people advising her. Ultimately the leader bears the responsibility for addressing these problems.
There is however a silver lining to this cloud. We have seen in just this last week the support Albertans are willing to give on the promise of new management. The Wildrose Party could take a page out of that playbook! I stand for better government before party politics. Always have, always will! I will serve my constituents, champion the values I hold dear and try to improve our government.”
With files from The Canadian Press
*NOTE: This article was originally posted on Nov. 2 and was updated on Nov. 3 to include allegations of taped meetings and Anglin’s response.
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