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PC, Wildrose members begin unity vote

Last Updated Jul 20, 2017 at 11:04 am MDT

Brian Jean and Jason Kenney

Voting for the United Conservative Party begins Thursday.

Registered members of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties are deciding whether or not to unite the right into one party, or stay as two.

The voting ends at 6 p.m. Saturday.

There was a huge spike in membership for both parties before the vote and Mount Royal University political scientist Keith Brownsey believes that’s a possible indication the vote will be positive.

“People who want to see the two parties united, and for this new conservative party will certainly join and do so enthusiastically, I think,” he said.

It’s the Wildrose membership which remains the wildcard.

“These are people who, remember, left the Conservatives for a whole variety of reasons back in the mid-2000s,” he explained.

He stressed nobody knows for sure what will happen, adding this only works with Jason Kenney who has brought the two parties closer ideologically, but even that isn’t necessarily a good thing for conservatives.

“There have been a number of very prominent defections from the former Progressive Conservative party,” he said.

Brownsey cautions while Kenney may be good for a unity vote, he may lead less zealous conservatives to move to the Alberta Party or even further to the left.

If unification passes by a close margin, it could almost be worse than an outright no vote and could lead to problems down the road.

“It would be a sign that this isn’t a particularity, overwhelmingly popular movement,” said Brownsey.