By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Standing room only at Brian Jean meet-and-greet Thursday night

Jun 1, 2017 | 10:50 PM

LETHBRIDGE –  Wildrose leader Brian Jean made a pit stop in Lethbridge Thursday night for a meet-and-greet.
 
It’s clear he is not about to allow the unite-the-right movement to languish on the road to the next step in unification and is taking the challenge head on.  His day began with meetings in Edmonton, a full day in the legislature, then a flight to Calgary and a car trip down to Lethbridge for this meeting.  He headed back to Edmonton the same night. Not only does he want the merger to be successful, but he unabashedly wants the leadership.
 
Jean could have cancelled the meet-and-greet after a hectic day, but doesn’t want to waste any opportunity to speak to party faithful and those still weighing their choices. He needs them to buy memberships and be ready for a Special General Meeting in Red Deer on July 22.
 
On that day, party members will decide on whether to ratify the “Agreement in Principle on the Establishment of the United Conservative Party”, as set out in the Agreement in Principle, dated May 18, 2017.
 
The ratification deal needs to be approved by 75 per cent of Wildrose members and just over 50 per cent of PC members. If, and/or, when it goes ahead, the new party will set up a leadership committee to facilitate the election of a new leader of October 28.
 
Thursday night’s get together saw a larger crowd than the meet-and greet Jean held at the same location (German Canadian Club) on August 3 of last year. Organizers were continually adding chairs to those already set out, in a room that quickly filled.  The crowd included a wider age range of participants, from early teens through 20 somethings and seniors.  The youngest participant was a 14-year old party volunteer who needed no prompting to step up to a mic and offer his support for Jean.
 
As Jean made his pitch for support there were specific issues that garnered the largest applause from those in the crowd – such as a referendum on equalization payments and a parents’ right to make education decisions for their children.  When he took questions from the audience, health care and wait times were the biggest concern, along with the expected rising costs for electricity. However, Jean said the number one concern is still jobs.
 
“Jobs and the economy are huge and that’s the reason people are looking to unite-the-right and consolidate Conservatives, because they feel this is the most effective way to make sure that the NDP are gone after the next election, and not just the next election, but a successive generation of elections thereafter, as they connect the NDP with the loss of jobs that we’ve seen over the last two years.”
 
The main theme of Jean’s “On Your Side” touring, is that he works for his supporters and wants to make sure Albertans are the ones calling the shots in government.
 
As for the unite-the-right merge, Jean says he is finding that people have a lot of questions about the process.
 
“Well I think Wildrose MLAs reflect most of Albertans – some people are very excited at the prospect of uniting into one consolidated conservative movement and some are less excited, but we’re seeing more political activists being in favour of unite the right and consolidating conservatives – it seems to be getting more of a ground swell and I think we are more and more confident all the time.”
 
Jean was forthright about his major focus moving forward at this time.
 
“Selling memberships and educating Albertans and Wildrose members on what the advantages and disadvantages of going forward are, and having truthful and honest conversations.” 
 
On the very day that another candidate, Calgary lawyer Doug Schweitzer, announced he was throwing his hat into the ring to challenge Jean and Jason Kenney for leadership of the United Conservative Party, the current Wildrose leader was not concerned.
 
“I’ve encouraged anyone, any Albertan, who wants to get into the race, to get into the race – I think democracy is a great thing and I had an opportunity to talk to him (Schweitzer) this morning, encouraged him and I look forward to the opportunity to compete against him for the leadership of this party, but let’s be clear, what matters right now is to put aside all those leadership ambitions and focus on the ratification vote for the new party and uniting these two parties into one consolidated Conservative movement.”