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 (also known as Parti de la liberté conservatrice de l'Alberta in French) was a political party in Alberta, Canada. It focused on ideas like Alberta having more control over its own affairs (autonomy), individual freedom, and careful spending of government money (fiscal conservatism).

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

In April 2020, the party announced it would join with another group called Wexit Alberta. Together, they formed a new party called the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. Members from both groups voted to approve this merger in June 2020. The new party was officially registered in July 2020, meaning the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta no longer existed.

Members in the Legislature

Before the 2019 Alberta general election, the party had one member in the Alberta Legislature. This member was Derek Fildebrandt.

What the Party Believed

The main goals of the Freedom Conservative Party were:

• Alberta having more control over its own decisions.
• More freedom for people in Alberta.
• The government of Alberta being responsible for its actions.

The party wanted Alberta to be more independent within Canada. It also believed in libertarian ideas, which means less government control over people's lives. They were also fiscally conservative, meaning they wanted the government to spend money wisely. For example, their rules said the government should not make laws to stop adults from making their own choices. They also wanted to remove unnecessary rules for businesses and 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 needed.

Party History

The Freedom Conservative Party essentially took over the existing structure of the old Alberta First Party. After changing its name in June 2018, it gained its first member in the Legislature. This happened when Derek Fildebrandt joined them. He had been an Independent Conservative but was not allowed to run for the United Conservative Party.

Derek Fildebrandt became the temporary leader of the new party. When the party was announced, he explained that it was not a party that wanted Alberta to leave 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. Fildebrandt wanted to avoid running candidates in areas where it might accidentally help the New Democratic Party win by splitting the conservative vote.

Choosing a Leader

The first meeting for the party under its new name was held in Chestermere. This was also their first leadership election since 1999. Derek Fildebrandt was the only person running for leader. Because of this, he was chosen as 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 interim leader. He won after a second round of voting against two other candidates.

Election Results

The 2019 Alberta general election was the first election the Freedom Conservative Party took part in under its new name. In this election, the party did not win any seats in the Legislature. They received 8,982 votes, which was about 0.54% of all votes cast.

Leadership Over Time

• Derek Fildebrandt: He led the Freedom Conservative Party from 2018 to 2019. He was the leader when the party changed its name in June 2018.
• David White: He became the interim (temporary) leader in 2019. He was chosen on May 4, 2019, after a vote with three candidates.

See also

• Alberta separatism
• Western alienation