A merger mea culpa

In response to a comment made under this post on The Wildrose Report, I said:

... I doubt the WRP [Wildrose Party] would want to tarnish its image makeover by aligning with the Alberta Alliance.

There will be no deal between the two before the next election.

Apparently I was wrong. Alberta Alliance propagandist Jane Morgan has gleefully disclosed that a "merger" deal between the two right wing federalist rump parties is indeed in the works. According to Jane Morgan's post, the "merger" will proceed if six resolutions are passed by the tiny Alberta Alliance membership at a Special General Meeting to be held on January 19, 2008. These are the resolutions:

1) the Alliance changes the name of the “Alberta Alliance Party” to the “Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta”.

2) the Wildrose Alliance adopt new Bylaws substantially the same as those of the “Wildrose Party of Alberta”.

3) the Wildrose Alliance immediately conduct election of officers.

4) the Wildrose Alliance call and provide notice of an Annual General Meeting to be held by May 1, 2008.

5) the Wildrose Alliance accept all the assets and liabilities of the “Wildrose Party of Alberta”; following the acceptance of the merger by members of both the Alberta Alliance and the Wildrose Party at their respective Special General Meetings.

6) the Wildrose Alliance allow all members of the “Wildrose Party of Alberta” to exchange their membership in the Wildrose Party for a membership in the “Wildrose Alliance” for the unexpired term.

In addition to the foregoing, it appears to be the case that Paul Hinman will remain on as leader, post-"merger".

Now, I have read some comments to the effect that these proposals, if adopted, represent a Wildrose Party takeover of the Alberta Alliance.

I disagree.

If the "merger" goes ahead under these terms, it is in fact the Alberta Alliance that is taking over the Wildrose Party. Look at the key elements of this so-called "merger":

• The legally registered Alberta Alliance Party will change its name, but will remain as the post-"merger" party of record for the purposes of Alberta's elections laws.
• The current leader of the Alberta Alliance will become the leader of the "merged" entity.
• All assets and liabilities of the Wildrose Party will be assumed by the Alberta Alliance.
• All Wildrose Party members will become members of the renamed Alberta Alliance. The Wildrose Party will cease to have members, save for a few holdouts. (This should increase the average post-"merger" IQ of both parties.)
  
• The current Wildrose Party, stripped of assets and members, will presumably disappear.
  

I do feel a bit sorry for the grassroots members of Wildrose, who have been working their tails off for the last six months to complete the registration petition. Months of knocking on doors, standing outside of malls, getting harassed and harangued, only to have their efforts thrown away by a completely incompetent Executive Committee. Bizarre.

I never would have guessed a group of self-proclaimed leaders - even right wing federalist ones - could be so callous and dumb.

No wonder my prediction of "no merger" turned out to be wrong.