The rough and tumble world of Alberta politics is continuing as the right of center parties get ready to decide on unification.
The unification wheels began rolling with the campaign of Jason Kenney for the leadership of the PC party and its goal of uniting the PC and the Wildrose to defeat the Alberta NDP Party.
A deal was made between the two parties, and come July 22 the membership of each party will decide its path forward. The PC Party need to garner 50 per cent plus 1 support, while the Wildrose, needs 75 per cent membership approval to move forward with unification.
Pat Rutledge is president of the Drumheller-Stettler Wildrose Constituency Association. He says his feeling is that most will vote for unity.
“Anybody that I talk to, the common Joe who aren’t political junkies, say get-r-done. Prevent the NDP from getting another term,” he said. “Get- r-done somehow.”
It isn’t without some growing pains, however.
“There are some guys that are not entirely happy with Brian Jean, I guess. He didn’t ask them if they wanted unity in the first place,” said Rutledge.
“It’s good in theory to have grass root input, but you can’t ask 30,000 people every time you need to make a decision.”
President of the Drumheller-Stettler PC Constituency Association Mark Nikota said there are varying degrees of involvement by party membership.
“I think people are just waiting to see what happens. There are people who are really involved wanting to see it happen and there are others who are sitting back waiting for the vote to take place,” he said.
He feels the PC Party will probably back unification with the lower threshold.
“Personally I don’t think the PC side will be an any issue just based on the leadership results. When Jason Kenney was voted in he had about 75 per cent of the vote,” he said.
“The Wildrose side, I think it is going to be touch and go.”
MLA Rick Strankman is confident about the unity vote.
“I think Albertans are left with a decision. On the one hand, people in the constituency tell me to get it done; others say we have to maintain our individual identities. I say look at both sides of that, if you want to maintain your individual identities, or do you want to take the chance that the NDP be our next government? I think that is the decision when they go to vote, do they want unity or do they want the NDP?”
