PHOTO: Wildrose Leader Brian Jean gazes into the future, or into a pond, or something. For $150 bucks, you can sit there with him.

The annual general meeting pages on the Wildrose website include an invitation to an opportunity to take part in a conversation with Brian Jean in an “interactive event” at which the leader “will be the first step in putting Alberta back on the right track.”

“Brian will talk about bringing conservatives together to regain control over Alberta’s economic and political direction,” the blurb says. This is interesting, since it shows the effort to unite the two conservative parties under the green Wildrose banner is now official, although how well this will go over with every member of what’s left of the PC caucus remains to be seen.

Regardless, this opportunity to converse interactively with Mr. Jean will cost participants only $150 each, or $1,250 for a table. A table with an MLA at it, and presumably one less seat as a result, will cost only $1,750.

I mention this, of course, because only one week ago the Wildrose Party put out a news release that demanded Alberta’s Ethics Commissioner “investigate an NDP event that sells exclusive access to Cabinet.”

“The event asks for $250 to ‘join Premier Rachel Notley, Cabinet, and MLAs for the evening to discuss issues facing the province that are important,’” an outraged Mr. Jean complained in the party’s press release. “If you run a business, or are just an ordinary Albertan, this invitation sends the message the only way to get a meeting with a member of cabinet under an NDP government is to fill up NDP party coffers.”

The Wildrose Party will no doubt claim their fund-raising event is different, but other than offering access to a shadow cabinet and costing 100 bucks less, I’m afraid I don’t see it. Well, maybe you’re not allowed to talk.

Sounds to me like it’s that same old conservative Who Me? Syndrome that assumes the rules are for everyone else.

This post also appears on Rabble.ca.

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2 Comments

  1. OK so the Wildrosers want to sell “interactive access” packages to Brian Jean for $150 a pop. I wish they would introduce some sort of sliding scale since $150 is a drop in the bucket to some while to others it’s a weeks groceries.

    How about $1500 to people who got the dough and $15 to those who don’t. It would be more egalitarian. IMHO

  2. “I mention this, of course, because only one week ago the Wildrose Party put out a news release that demanded Alberta’s Ethics Commissioner ‘investigate an NDP event that sells exclusive access to Cabinet’… The Wildrose Party will no doubt claim their fund-raising event is different, but other than offering access to a shadow cabinet and costing 100 bucks less, I’m afraid I don’t see it.”

    Um, really? You don’t see a difference between offering paid access to the actual Cabinet (as in, the actual government of this province) versus mere members of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition? I should think that would be a fairly straightforward distinction.

    When the NDP are turfed out of govt. four years from now, as they appear determined to make happen, then as far as I’m concerned they can throw any kind of bash they feel like, and sell access to their backbenchers to their heart’s content. But I can tell you that you’ll see more rectitude from a Wildrose government.

    Oh, and one more difference that you should be able to see: the Wildrose postponed their event for the Manmeet Bhullar memorial. The NDP shindig went ahead. Classy.

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