Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Lakeside Leader
Scott Sinclair, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, is starting a new conservative party with fellow ousted UCP MLA Peter Gutherie.
Sinclair says that the name of the new party is in “limbo.”
The goal is to have a party named the Progressive Conservatives, harkening back to the days before the Wild Rose and United Conservative Party (UCP).
Sinclair’s vision is for a “centre-right-middle” party and says the party is “trying to appeal to everyday people. We think there’s an appetite for this.”
The two joined the Alberta Party in the summer. On August 27, the Alberta Party voted to change the name. On Aug. 29, the party applied to Elections Alberta for the name to be recognized.
“There’s no exact timeline for this,” says Sinclair.
However, he thinks it will take around four weeks, since that was how long it took last year for the Buffalo Party to change its name to the Republican Party of Alberta.
Sinclair figures they should hear within the next few weeks. Once that is done, the renamed party will have a launch party, push for more membership, launch a formal leadership race, and set a convention date all in the first few months.
Asked about membership, Sinclair says “it’s pretty low, I think.”
At the special assembly for the name change, the membership was around 400, he adds.
It’s probably higher now, as both Sinclair and Gutherie have sold memberships, but the big push will be after the name change.
Although having joined an existing party, as far as the Alberta Legislature is concerned Sinclair and Gutherie are still listed as independents, as a party being recognized by the legislature is another step in the process.
Asked if there is precedence for what they are doing, Sinclair says, that in recent years parties in both BC and Saskatchewan parties have done something similar. The Saskatchewan Party has formed several majority governments and the informally united BC conservatives and liberals almost got enough seats to form a government.
“It can happen quite quickly,” he says, “if you’re able to capture the momentum … We do believe that there’s an opportunity for us to form government.”
Lesser Slave Lake riding
In the meantime, Sinclair has been active in the riding over the summer.
He figures he attended between 40 and 65 community events in the riding.
Lesser Slave Lake constituency covers a lot of land. It goes from High Prairie to Calling Lake, from just north of Chisholm to north of Chipewyan Lake, with Woodland Cree Nation the furthest west on Hwy. 986. On the west edge, Cadotte Lake, in Woodland Cree, is 395 km from Calling Lake on the southeast corner.
Sinclair has also been advocating on constituents’ concerns.
This includes helping the M.D. of Lesser Slave River and Town of Slave Lake advocate for rebuilding Hwy. 88 north of Slave Lake.
Earlier this year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith came to Slave Lake to announce the start of this work, and construction has started on three km of road.
Sinclair says the meeting with Premier Smith was very positive.
There is also a section of Hwy. 2 east of the Mitsue Industrial area where a culvert replacement has stalled and the contractor has walked away from it.
Sinclair has had many meetings with Alberta Transportation to try to find a solution, he says, including trying to find ways to keep companies accountable for the work they start.
Another area of concern is the delay in building the Red Earth Creek School. The money has been promised and a design approved. Construction was supposed to start this year, but has been delayed.
“Everybody’s antsy on that,” says Sinclair.
Sinclair is also advocating on improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Alberta Legislature goes back into session on October 23. Sinclair plans to host an open house sometime before then in Slave Lake. He would like to visit any schools in the riding, who are interested in having him.
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