Brian Jean elected new leader of Wildrose Party
Former MP Brian Jean has won the leadership of the Wildrose Party following a vote Saturday.
Jean captured 4,792 votes, or about 55 per cent of the total. In second place was Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes (40 per cent) followed by former Strathcona County Mayor Linda Osinchuk (5 per cent).
The leadership of the party has been vacant sinceformer leader Danielle Smith crossed the floor with eight other Wildrose MLAs to join the ruling Progressive Conservative party in December.
Calgary-Fish Creek MLA Heather Forsyth served as the party’s interim leader prior to the vote.
Shortly before the vote, Jean promised not to follow in Smith's footsteps.
"If I was elected as Wildrose leader, I would immediately enter into a contract between myself and the Wildrose party for $100,000 in liquidated damages if I crossed the floor," he said during a March 17 leadership debate on CBC's alberta@noon.
Jean served as the federal MP for Fort McMurray-Athabasca for eight years after being elected in 2006. He said he decided to get into provincial politics after experiencing frustration with Alberta's health-care system while caring for his 24-year-old son.
He briefly suspended his campaign a week before the vote, following his son's death from an undisclosed illness.
source: Brian Jean elected new leader of Wildrose Party - Edmonton - CBC News
..................................
They got my vote.
Former MP Brian Jean has won the leadership of the Wildrose Party following a vote Saturday.
Jean captured 4,792 votes, or about 55 per cent of the total. In second place was Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes (40 per cent) followed by former Strathcona County Mayor Linda Osinchuk (5 per cent).
The leadership of the party has been vacant sinceformer leader Danielle Smith crossed the floor with eight other Wildrose MLAs to join the ruling Progressive Conservative party in December.
Calgary-Fish Creek MLA Heather Forsyth served as the party’s interim leader prior to the vote.
Shortly before the vote, Jean promised not to follow in Smith's footsteps.
"If I was elected as Wildrose leader, I would immediately enter into a contract between myself and the Wildrose party for $100,000 in liquidated damages if I crossed the floor," he said during a March 17 leadership debate on CBC's alberta@noon.
Jean served as the federal MP for Fort McMurray-Athabasca for eight years after being elected in 2006. He said he decided to get into provincial politics after experiencing frustration with Alberta's health-care system while caring for his 24-year-old son.
He briefly suspended his campaign a week before the vote, following his son's death from an undisclosed illness.
source: Brian Jean elected new leader of Wildrose Party - Edmonton - CBC News
..................................
They got my vote.