Alberta public forum strives to unite the right in bid against NDP

Veterans from the glory days of Alberta's ProgressiveConservative party are organizing a public forum on how best tounite the right to defeat the New Democrats in the next provincialelection.

RickOrman, one of the organizers, said manyAlbertansfear thatvote splitting between the PCs and theWildroseparty in 2019 couldresult in another NDP victory.

The forum is meant to give people a chance to speak their mind,as well as to discuss the possibility of forming a newsmall-cconservative party that would bring PC andWildrosesupporters whoshare the same values together, he said.

"Do we believe that either one of these two parties is capableof forming the next government?" saidOrman, a former cabinetminister and one-time Tory leadership candidate.

"If the answer is 'yes,' I think people will go away and supporttheir respective parties. If the answer is 'no,' then we have tostart planning for an event that could possibly lead to a newparty."

Ormansaid members of the legislature from both parties have been invited to theApril 30meeting at Red Deer College.

The forum is a joint effort by groups that formed after theConservative election defeat last May such as Future of Alberta,Alberta Can't Wait and theFebruary 19committee.

Organizers and supporters include people who helped the PCs winsuccessive majority governments over a period spanning two decades.They include former PC party president Eric Young, former cabinetministersArnoDoerksenand GregMelchin,campaign strategist HalDanchillaand ThompsonMacDonald, former premier Ralph Klein'sone-time media strategist.

TheWildroseand the Tories said they are aware of the forum but do not plan to officially take part.

Troy Wason, executive director of the PCs, said the meeting wouldbe nothing but a distraction as the party works to rebuild after itsstunning election defeat last May.

Wason said Conservatives share the concern about vote splitting,but have been busy reconnecting with voters.

There doesn't appear to be any appetite for a merger with theWildroseor for forming a new party, he said.
"We have been asking this for seven months. Is it renewal? Is itrebrand or is it merge? Overwhelmingly from our members it has beento renew."

Jason Nixon, theWildrosewhip in the legislature, said caucusmembers are free to attend and party officials may go but only tolisten.

Wildrosesupporters are wary of political elites getting backinto power, Nixon said.And having another right-of-centreparty would make votesplitting in the next election even worse, he suggested.

"The biggest concern is that we don't end up with three options,which would end up compounding the problem that these very groupsare trying to solve."