Alberta’s political landscape could change this weekend as members of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties vote whether to merge the two parties.
Voting opened online and at one voting station in Edmonton for the PCs on Thursday. Other voting stations around the province will be open Saturday, as will voting for Wildrose members.
READ MORE: Alberta Progressive Conservative members vote in July on fate of party
Wildrose leader Brian Jean was in Edmonton Thursday night for a unity rally. He’s confident the two parties will merge.
“It looks extremely positive at this stage to get unity on Saturday and to move forward after that with one consolidated conservative movement,” Jean said.
The Wildrose needs 75 per cent approval, while the PC party needs 51 per cent approval to merge.
“That’s what makes the Wildrose and the legal structure so great. That’s why we’re taking that legal structure and putting it behind the new united party, because it actually responds to the members,” Jean said.
“The new party is also going to have that 75 per cent threshold.”
READ MORE: What an Alberta PC-Wildrose merger could mean for Rachel Notley’s NDP
A merger has been kicked around in various forms for a decade, but caught fire a year ago when PC leader Jason Kenney launched his successful bid for the Tory leadership.
“It is the culmination of a year of incredibly hard work,” Kenney, a cabinet minister under former prime minister Stephen Harper, said Friday in an interview.
“When we started this unity effort, a lot of people were understandably skeptical that the whole plan seemed perhaps unlikely and complicated.
“But it’s come down to a very clear choice: do we unite free enterprisers into one big party that can ensure the defeat of the NDP? Or do we continue with pointless division that could lead to their re-election?”
READ MORE: Jason Kenney spent nearly $1.5M on Alberta PC leadership race
More than 50,000 Tories and about 40,000 in the Wildrose have signed up to vote.
Concerns have been raised by Wildrose members about the voting process. Some members have said they’ve had a tough time getting the necessary PIN and are worried about only having one day to cast their vote.
“I am concerned and I’ve raised it with our executive director, and he’s assured me that they’re doing everything possible to eliminate all those issues,” Jean said.
Others reported received two PINs. The Wildrose said it’s not known how many people received two PINs but added that steps were taken to ensure their votes are not counted twice.
Most members have received their PIN and those who haven’t can do so online, the Wildrose leader said. The party also has two different phone banks operating with more than 30 lines to help people.
“We want to make sure that we offer Albertans the best opportunity and the best choice going forward and that’s one consolidate conservative moment that will represent Albertans and give them the best quality life possible,” Jean said.
READ MORE: Rachel Notley makes appeal to conservatives turned off by potential merger between Wildrose and PCs
Voting officially ends Saturday night at 6 p.m., with the results scheduled to be released shortly afterwards.
If the merger goes through, Jean and Kenney will be among the candidates vying to lead the United Conservative Party. Calgary lawyer Doug Schweitzer is also campaigning, while Wildrose finance critic Derek Fildebrandt has said he is considering it.
Watch below: The memberships of the Alberta PC and Wildrose parties are being asked a simple question this weekend: Do you support the formation of a United Conservative Party? Leaders of both parties are working hard to ensure a yes vote. Tom Vernon reports.
As per the unity agreement, joint committees would be struck to get the machinery of a new party in place with constituency associations and candidates. The goal is to be ready for the next election set for the spring of 2019.
Uncertainty remains over what happens if one side fails to ratify.
Kenney has talked about a possible Plan B including some form of co-operation, such as the two sides not running against each other in certain constituencies.
Jean said he’s thought about a fallback plan, but he’ll deal with it when and if the time comes.
“What I’m doing right now is focusing on unity and concentrating all my efforts there,” said Jean.
“And I believe ultimately we’ll get a yes vote on Saturday.”
With files from Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press.
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