Some days are busier than others. 

The rumour mill has been going for quite some time now about whether Brian Jean will be making a return to Alberta politics.

Yesterday, Dave Cournoyer, of Daveberta, posted an article pondering if Jean was going to be running for the Alberta Party.

This morning, the Calgary SUN’s Rick Bell wrote that a city councilor had spoken to Jean on Monday evening and said he would be joining the Freedom Conservative Party. (Yes, Brian Jean and Derek Fildebrandt; can you picture it? I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation…)

And then all hell broke loose. 

Stephen Harper, the former Prime Minister, tweeted out a thinly-veiled insult to any conservative thinking of supporting someone other than Kenney:

Conservatives win when we are united. That was true when we united our federal party (eventually) and it is true in Alberta today. Personal ambition and fighting old battles must take a backseat to the best interests of our Province.

Jason Kenney received an overwhelming mandate (and that’s certainly up for debate; or should I say… investigation?) from (0.05% of) Alberta’s conservatives (who voted for either party in 2015) to lead us into the next election. Everything (from rigging races by disqualifying candidates to allegations of criminal wrongdoing) that has occurred since has shown that party members made the right (again, debatable) choice. Laureen and I will be strongly supporting Jason and we are confident that all true  conservatives will help him defeat this NDP government.

Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper (emphasis and snark all mine)

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe chimed in as well: 

Dear Albertans, 

Prior to the formation of the @SaskParty, our province was the example of what dividing the free enterprise movement will do: electing NDP governments over and over again. 

United we win, divided we lose.

Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, whose bio states “proud to be a citizen of Saskatchewan” but doesn’t mention how lucky he feels to have a job in Alberta, wisely, hasn’t said anything. I just thought it was worth a dig. 

And while the story about the ex-UCP board member who says he was “bullied out of the party” for cooperating with the Elections Commissioner’s investigation and the cease and desist letter sent to Prab Gill on the UCP’s behalf are still fresh in our minds, let us recall that the United Conservative Party stands for free speech (if you say things they like) and democratic freedoms (of theirs). 

Personally, I can’t wait to see if Brian Jean manages to stand up to the pressure he has to be receiving behind the scenes. I would guarantee that what we’re seeing in public is nowhere near what he must be dealing with privately.

And if he doesn’t show back up in Alberta politics now we’ll always wonder if he was ever planning on it in the first place… or if they got to him.   

This post contains fact and opinion.

Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean

Tips: [email protected]

@Mitchell_AB @thisweekinAB