Ric McIver's 'over my dead body' post rebuffs idea of peddling Wildrose memberships
Wildrose leader had said PC interim leader was encouraging conservatives to buy memberships for both parties
PC interim leader Ric McIver says Wildrose leader Brian Jean has "attempted to make hay with an outrageous statement about selling WRP memberships."
It comes after Jean said on Monday that McIver was encouraging Alberta's conservatives to buy memberships for both parties as talks continue about uniting the right.
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"PCAA is my party and is the only party which should be leading Alberta the next time an election takes place," he said of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta in a LinkedIn post titled "Over My Dead Body."
McIver says he wrote it in response to suggestions that he is a Wildrose Party supporter.
"What I continually hear is strong support for PCAA in Alberta," he said. "Make no mistake, I am all in with regard to my commitment."
'I don't want to see Mr. McIver's dead body'
Jean maintains McIver did make the statement about memberships — and he says the Wildrose is the best-placed party to help end the NDP's time in government.
"I don't want to see Mr. McIver's dead body, so I'm not sure what he's talking about or referring to, but I like Ric — he's a nice gentleman," said Jean at a press conference Tuesday.
"He's a hard-working Calgarian and he's given a lot of his life to Alberta, and I respect him very much. He is just simply in the wrong party and I would welcome him into the Wildrose."
The war of words seems to be to the delight of the Twitterverse, including that Jean said he is a "willing dance partner" looking to talk.
Grease not your thing? Brian Jean wants Ric McIver to SHUT UP AND DANCE! <a href="https://t.co/dovPMbZLq3">https://t.co/dovPMbZLq3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ableg?src=hash">#ableg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cuzweneedalaff?src=hash">#cuzweneedalaff</a>
—@KikkiPlanetUniting the right in Alberta was a topic of discussion last weekend at the Manning Centre's annual conference on the state of conservatism in Canada.
Both Jean and McIver were in Ottawa for the event and attended a reception hosted by federal Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose, who has said she will "do anything" to unite the right in Alberta — anything, that is, except run for leadership of the PCs herself.