Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta
Leader	David White (interim)
President	Bill Jones
Founded	June 22, 2018 (as Freedom Conservative)
Dissolved	July 23, 2020
Preceded by	Alberta First Party
Merged into	Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta
Headquarters	Edmonton, Alberta
Membership	2,000
Ideology	Right-libertarianism Fiscal conservatism Alberta autonomism
Political position	Right-wing
Colours	Dark blue and red

The Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta (which in French was called Parti de la liberté conservatrice de l'Alberta) was a political party in Alberta, Canada. It focused on ideas like Alberta having more control over its own affairs (called autonomy), individual freedom (libertarianism), and careful spending (conservatism).

The party had a few different names over the years. It started as the Alberta First Party in 1999. Then, in 2004, it changed to the Separation Party of Alberta. It went back to Alberta First in 2013. In April 2018, it became the Western Freedom Party of Alberta. Finally, on June 22, 2018, it changed to its last name, the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta.

In April 2020, the party announced it would join with another group called Wexit Alberta. They planned to form a new party called the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. Members from both groups voted to agree to this merger in June 2020. By July 2020, the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta was officially recognized. This meant the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta had merged and no longer existed as a separate party.

What the Party Believed In

The Freedom Conservative Party had some main goals. These were:

1. Alberta should have more control over its own decisions.
2. People in Alberta should have more freedom.
3. Alberta's government should be responsible with its actions and money.

The party wanted Alberta to be more independent within Canada. They believed in libertarian ideas, which means they wanted less government control over people's lives. They also believed in fiscal conservatism, which means they wanted the government to spend money wisely. For example, their rules said the government should not make laws to stop adults from doing things that only affect themselves. They also wanted to remove rules that were not needed for the economy.

When it came to money, the party believed Alberta's government should only collect and spend the amount of money that was truly necessary.

Party History

The Freedom Conservative Party officially took over the structure of the older Alberta First Party. After changing its name in June 2018, it gained its first member in the Alberta Legislature. This member was Derek Fildebrandt. He joined the new party after he was not allowed to run for another party, the United Conservative Party.

Derek Fildebrandt became the temporary leader of the new party. When the party was announced, he said it was not about Alberta leaving Canada. Instead, he said its members were "conservatives, libertarians and Alberta patriots."

The party planned to have candidates run in areas where conservative voters were strong, especially in rural parts of Alberta. Derek Fildebrandt wanted to avoid running candidates in areas where it might accidentally help the New Democratic Party of Alberta win. This could happen if the conservative vote was split between too many parties.

Choosing a Leader

The Freedom Conservative Party held its first big meeting and leadership election in Chestermere on October 20, 2018. Derek Fildebrandt was the only person running to be leader. Because of this, he became the leader without a vote.

After the 2019 Alberta General Election, Derek Fildebrandt stepped down as leader. On May 4, 2019, David White was chosen as the new temporary leader. This happened at a party meeting in Calgary. Three people ran for the position, and David White won after a second round of voting.

Election Results

The Freedom Conservative Party took part in the 2019 Alberta general election. This was the first time the party ran in an election under its new name.

Election	Leader	Seats	Change	Place	Votes	%	Position
2019	Derek Fildebrandt	0 / 87	1	6th	8,982	0.54%	No seats

Party Leaders Over Time

See also

• Alberta separatism
• Western alienation