Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta

Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, which was formed through the merger of Wexit Alberta and the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta in 2020.

Not to be confused with Independence Party of Alberta or Wildrose Loyalty Coalition.
For other Wildrose parties, see Wild Rose#Politics.

Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta
Active provincial party
LeaderJeevan Singh Mangat (interim)[1]
PresidentRick Northey
Founded29 June 2020 (2020-06-29)
Merger of
HeadquartersUnit 163 17008 – 90 Ave Edmonton, AB T5T 1L6[2]
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing[7]
Colours  Blue
  Red
  Green
Slogan"Our Freedom Cannot Wait!"
Seats in Legislature
0 / 87
Website
https://www.wildrosenation.com/

Views

According to its constitution, Wexit Alberta's plans included abolishing the provincial branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the establishment of an "Alberta National Police" and a "Provincial Sheriff Program". It also called for the adoption of a currency to replace the Canadian dollar.[8][9][10]

History

Wexit Alberta movement

The Wexit movement gained traction in October 2019, shortly after the 2019 Canadian federal election, when the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was re-elected to form government.[11][12] In August 2019, Wexit Alberta held several meetings including a small summer meeting in Calgary’s beltline.[13] A few months later another meeting in Calgary drew about 1700 attendees.[14]

On January 11, 2020, a Wexit rally was held at the Alberta legislature grounds with the goal of collecting the 8,400 signatures required for official party status.[15]

Wexit reserved the name "Wexit Alberta" with Elections Alberta for use by a provincial party.[16]

On April 27, 2020, Wexit Alberta and the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta announced plans to merge into the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta.[17][18] Members of those parties voted to approve the merger on June 29, 2020.[19][20] The parties needed to finalize a unification agreement before the new party could be registered with Elections Alberta.[21][22] The name was reserved with Elections Alberta.[22][23] On July 23, 2020, the party was officially registered with Elections Alberta.[24][25]

On July 17, 2020, the party announced that Paul Hinman would serve as its interim leader, until the party's founding convention and leadership contest.[26][27] Hinman confirmed his intention to run in the first leadership contest.[28]

The party held its founding convention on January 23, 2021 virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. According to the party, 478 members were registered to attend and vote on policy, approve a constitution, and elected a new Board of Governors.[29] The party announced that the leadership election would run from June 5 to August 27, concluding with a vote on August 28, 2021,[30] but on July 20, 2021, Hinman was declared to have been elected leader of the party.[31]

In October 2020, the board of the People's Party of Alberta voted to dissolve the party in favour of supporting the efforts of the Wildrose Independence Party.[32]

Leadership dispute with Hinman

Paul Hinman ran in the 2022 Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election. Hinman was not a resident of the Fort McMurray or Lac La Biche regions, but denied he was an opportunist or ignorant of local issues facing the riding.[33] He told Fort McMurray Today he was running as a candidate because he felt it was “the most important election in Alberta’s near-term history." He said he had stopped supporting Kenney and the UCP because he felt "Jason Kenney and the UCP have betrayed us by not standing up to Ottawa."[33]

Hinman finished third in the by-election, behind NDP candidate Ariana Mancini and UCP MLA Brian Jean.[34] After the by-election, the party began a review of Hinman's leadership and his performance in the campaign. After the review concluded, he was removed as party leader on June 28, 2022.

The review accused Hinman of paying himself with party money during the by-election. The review also wrote that Hinman was not familiar with the needs and concerns shared by people living in the riding, despite his commentary on community issues at local forums and in interviews with Harvard Media's CFVR-FM and Fort McMurray Today. The review was not released publicly, but a copy was leaked to the Western Standard.[35][36]

Hinman denied all of the party's accusations against him. He told CTV News that the party was being taken over by "implants, plants, agents inside our board" who are opposed to an independent Alberta.[37] Hinman was reinstated as leader during the party's annual general meeting in Red Deer on July 23, 2022. The party's board of governors were forced out.[38]

A Court of King's Bench justice ruled on October 21, 2022 that Hinman had been legally removed as leader of the party. Jeevan Mangat was named interim party leader. Hinman is appealing the decision.[39] The party's board also accused Hinman and his supporters of disrupting the AGM and pressuring people to either leave or support Hinman. They are suing Hinman for $180,000.[40]

Results
Election Leader Candidates Votes % Seats +/- Place Position
2023 Jeevan Mangat
2 / 87
 820 0.05%
0 / 87
 Steady 0 Increase 9th No seats

See also

References
  1. "Leader". Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  2. "Registered Political Parties". Elections Alberta. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. "Wexit The Plan" (PDF). Wexit Canada. Wexit Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  4. Dryden, Joel (January 11, 2020). "Wexit party granted eligibility for next federal election". CBC News. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  5. "'We're looking for our own country': Wexit supporters brave cold in Edmonton for referendum protest Saturday". Global News. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  6. "Wexit and the Alternative Right (as of December 2, 2019)". Active History. December 2, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  7. Williams, Nia (October 7, 2022). "Factbox: Danielle Smith wins Alberta premiership race vowing to table sovereignty bill". Reuters.
  8. "Wexit Alberta Constitution". Wexit Alberta. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  9. "Wexit Alberta Platform". Wexit Alberta. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  10. Levinson-King, Robin (October 11, 2019). "Wexit: Why some Albertans want to separate from Canada". BBC News. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  11. Macvicar, Adam (January 10, 2020). "Wexit political party can now run candidates in Canadian federal elections". Global News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  12. Bogart, Nicole (October 22, 2019). "Wexit: How a political divide in Western Canada is driving calls for separation". CTV News. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  13. "New Alberta separation group meets in Calgary: 'It's time to take control'". Global News. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  14. Johnston, Matthew (November 17, 2019). "Calgary Wexit rally draws 1,700". Western Standard. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. Yousif, Nadine (February 11, 2020). "'Alberta has been cheated': Wexit supporters on what drives them". Maclean's. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. "Wexit Alberta". Wexit Alberta. Wexit Alberta. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  17. Mertz, Emily (April 27, 2020). "FCP and Wexit members to vote on merging into Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta". Global News. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  18. Antoneshyn, Alex (April 27, 2020). "Union between Wexit, Freedom Conservative parties on the table". CTV News. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  19. Labby, Bryan (June 30, 2020). "Wexit Alberta and Freedom Conservative Party vote to merge as Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta". CBC News. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  20. French, Janet (July 2, 2020). "NDP wants United Conservative MLAs to reject idea of Alberta separation". CBC News. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  21. Naylor, Dave (June 29, 2020). "The 'Wildrose' is back: FCP & Wexit members vote to form new party". Western Standard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  22. Seker, Fuat (June 29, 2020). "Une possible fusion des partis indépendantistes de l'Alberta". Ici Radio-Canada (in French). Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  23. "Parties". Elections Alberta. 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  24. Naylor, Dave (July 17, 2020). "WIP gets official status from Elections Alberta". Western Standard. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  25. "Parties". Elections Alberta. 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  26. Gilligan, Melissa (July 17, 2020). "Paul Hinman named interim leader of Alberta's new Wildrose Independence Party". Global News. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  27. Morgan, Cory (July 17, 2020). "Paul Hinman is just the man the Wildrose Independence Party needs". Western Standard. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  28. Naylor, Dave (December 28, 2020). "Alberta's first Wildrose leader to seek top spot in the new Wildrose party". The Western Standard. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  29. "Wildrose heads into founding convention Saturday". January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  30. Naylor, Dave (February 23, 2021). "Wildrose sets date for leadership election". The Western Standard. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  31. "2021 Wildrose Independence Party Leadership Race Results". July 20, 2021.
  32. Eliasson, Niklas (October 2, 2020). "The People's Party of Alberta (PPA) board dissolves to join Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta". The Buffalo Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  33. McDermott, Vincent. "Wildrose Independence Party's Paul Hinman running in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche byelection". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  34. McDermott, Vincent. "Brian Jean elected UCP MLA in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, pledges to oust Kenney at leadership review". fortmcmurraytoday. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  35. Slobodian, Linda. "SLOBODIAN: Hinman out as Wildrose leader after 18-month suspension". Western Standard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  36. Slobodian, Linda. "Slobodian: WIP's Hinman faces the axe on Monday". Western Standard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  37. "Paul Hinman fighting claim he's been removed as Wildrose Independence leader". CTV Edmonton. June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  38. Cournoyer, Dave. "A Reverse Kudatah! Hinman loyalists retake control of the Wildrose Independence Party – daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics and Elections". Daveberta.ca. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  39. Green, Arthur C. (October 24, 2022). "Hinman says he will appeal ruling to remove him as Wildrose Party leader". Western Standard.
  40. Green, Arthur C. "Wildrose Party suing Hinman for $180,000 for disrupting AGM". Western Standard. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
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