Area Wildrose MLAs Jason Nixon and Nathan Cooper both say they anxiously await the judgment of party members on the proposed merger of their party and the Progressive Conservatives.
Wildrose leader Brian Jean and Progressive Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney signed an agreement in principle on the establishment of the United Conservative Party on May 18.
The new party will be a "broad coalition of Albertans united in common cause, reflecting the diversity of today's Alberta" and "will be open, democratic and accountable to its members," Jean and Kenney said in a joint statement.
Wildrose and PC party members will vote on whether to ratify the new party on July 22.
Jason Nixon, Wildrose MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, was one of the members of the unity committee that has been examining the possibility of a party merger.
"I certainly think this agreement is fair and that it protects the Wildrose framework and structure and it protects the things that we value as a party and the principles of our party and ensures we will continue forward," Nixon told the Gazette.
"I believe that the membership will ratify it and I think it will be a good step forward to be able to defeat the NDP in 2019. I will certainly be stressing to my members that I think this is a good deal."
Nathan Cooper told the Gazette: "I think that having a unified party is important in the next election, but I also think it's important that we listen to our membership. So I will be taking the lead from our membership. "I think this particular agreement provides a lot of the things they (members) have been asking about and for. At the end of the day they do have the final decision.
"I think the agreement in principle strikes a good balance. It does a great job of keeping the membership in charge."
Should the merger be ratified, a leader of the new party will be elected on Oct. 28, 2017.
Both Nixon and Cooper said they have not yet chosen to back any particular candidate for the leadership role.
Speaking at a press conference outside Carstairs on May 18, Premier Rachel Notley said she believes most Albertans would not support a Wildrose-PC union.
"Whether it's the Wildrose or the Tories, they clearly agree on things like making massive cuts to services in order to finance tax breaks for people at the top of the one per cent," said Notley.
"They agree collectively on the fact that they're not particularly sympathetic or supportive of LGBT rights. They can't seem to agree that a school lunch program is a good thing, at least not with us can they agree."
"So, they're a group that are moving increasingly to more and more extreme positions, to the point where they may fall right off the map. I guess if they do, they'll have company."
