WATCH: Albertans turned to social media to vent their frustrations and share their thoughts on the mass floor crossing. Emily Mertz has some of the highlights.
EDMONTON — Word that nine Wildrose MLAs, including Danielle Smith, had crossed the floor to join the governing Progressive Conservatives led to quite the stir on social media Wednesday afternoon.
Side by side, premier Jim Prentice and the former Wildrose leader made the announcement at a joint news conference at government house. Smith said she and eight of her Wildrose caucus colleagues decided to join the PCs because they needed to be “at the table, not outside the door.”
“Today we stand together ready to move on from past partisan rivalries and lead Alberta with renewed focus and a strong sense of purpose,” said Smith.
READ MORE: Wildrose leader, 8 others join Alberta’s PC party
The one-time political foes shared a hand shake prior to the announcement, which led to some mockery on social media.
The hashtag #ableg was trending on Twitter for much of the afternoon and into the evening, with people taking to social media to share their thoughts on the move.