During a visit to Olds, Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Jason Kenney said he's confident the PCs and Wildrose Party – along with people from other parties – can unite to form one big party to oppose the governing NDP.
But he said in order to do that, people who have strong views within that coalition will have to be willing to compromise.
Kenney spoke during the Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Progressive Conservative annual general meeting Sept. 16 in the Olds Legion Hall.
“I think we unite them the same way we united the national Conservative party – bringing together reformers, Progressive Conservatives,” Kenney said during an interview with the Albertan.
“In 2003, across 10 provinces, two languages, a lot more people and a lot more resentment in history, yet we managed to put it together. We buried the hatchet, we chose to look forward.
“And I think we can do exactly the same thing here. It requires everybody to be willing to put a little bit of water in their wine and be respectful of other views.
“You can't have a successful coalition unless the people within it are – let me rephrase this positively – the way to have a successful coalition is the rule is this: everybody has their say, but they don't necessarily get their way.
“So it does require people with a temperament where they're prepared to give and take a little bit to focus on what unites them.”
Kenney said the PCs and Wildrose Party members have more that unites them than divides them.
“In the legislature, the two parties – the PC and Wildrose caucuses – are voting identically 86 per cent of the time. The other 14 per cent are not consequential differences,” he said.
“I don't think it's worth risking a second NDP term and the catastrophic damage that would pose to our economy to squabble over 14 per cent of inconsequential issues.”
Kenney noted a huge swath of PC and Wildrose Party members – along with others – have already proven they can vote together as a bloc.
“Alberta Progressive Conservatives and Wildrosers worked together in federal Conservative campaigns and voted together to elect federal Conservative MPs,” he said.
“In the last provincial election – May of 2015 – Wildrose won 360,000 votes, PCs won 410,000 votes. Five months later, the federal Conservative Party won 1.2 million votes, three times more. That's Wildrose, plus PC, plus more.
“It's the fact that we did it federally that makes me confident that we can do it provincially. I believe the unity is inevitable. It's a question of when, not if.
“So I say let's darn well make the ‘when' before the next provincial election, before we risk a vote split allowing the NDP to get a second term.
“Look, the Wildrose Party did not land here from Mars, right? These are Albertans who helped the PCs stay in office for four decades,” he said.
Kenney outlined a five-point plan to create the new party in time for the 2019 provincial election.
First, the PC party would elect a “pro-unity” leader.
Secondly, that leader would launch discussions with Wildrose Party officials and others to create a conservative coalition.
Thirdly, members of both parties would vote on that proposed new entity “to give it democratic legitimacy.”
Organizers would then spend the latter half of 2017 setting up the new party.
Lastly, the new party would elect its new leader at the beginning of 2018.
“The members have to be involved from the beginning to give the green light,” Kenney said. “We have to avoid the cynicism of the floor-crossings that occurred 18 months ago.”
Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean previously indicated a desire to “unite the right” from his party's side with himself as leader.
Kenney said he doesn't see that as a problem.
“He's on the dance floor wearing his dancing shoes, waiting for a willing dancing partner. I'm proposing to be that partner.”
Kenney said Jean could certainly run for leadership of the new party, once it's set up.
“He's more than welcome to run for it,” Kenney said.
“I'm just trying to get the ball rolling towards unity – at least on the PC side – in a spirit of servant leadership. And if the new party were to choose Brian Jean or (Vermilion-Lloydminster MLA) Richard Starkey or anybody else as the leader, I would serve them with loyalty and humility.”
(Starkey was also a guest speaker during the annual general meeting).
“I'm not even using the phrase ‘unite the right' just because to some people, it implies that it's too narrow,” Kenney said. “I'm proposing a big tent coalition that, frankly, includes everybody who wants to get rid of the NDP. That's how they put together the Saskatchewan Party.”
“One of the reasons I think I'm the right guy to get this started is because I think most of them have confidence in me as a principled conservative. They can look at my record in Ottawa, at the taxpayers federation. They know I believe in conservative values,” Kenney said.
“And that's what they've been looking for, is a principled conservative party that's also committed to democratic reform. So I hear them.”
“I respect both parties. I say let's bury the hatchet; let's focus on what unites us, not what divides us,” he added.
Kenney expressed disappointment with rules enacted by PC officials for the leadership convention, which takes place in Calgary next March.
Under those rules, five of the 15 delegates elected from each riding must be members of the local constituency association board.
At least one of Kenney's supporters has said those rules reflect an apparent bias against Kenney. It's suggested party officials tend to be against joining a coalition with the Wildrose Party.
“I think it's unfortunate the PC board has chosen to make half the delegates super delegates – ex officio people. I think they've created two tiers of members – some with titles and some that don't,” Kenney said.
“I think all members should have the same weight in choosing their next leader. It should be an open, democratic, grassroots process. There shouldn't be special status for people with entitlement in the party.”
Kenney was asked if he can make that happen.
“We'll see; stay tuned,” he said with a smile.
"Look, the Wildrose Party did not land here from Mars, right? These are Albertans who helped the PCs stay in office for four decades."JASON KENNEYPROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE
