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Peter MacKay would help unite Alberta’s right

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Peter MacKay says he’s standing by ready to help unite the right in Alberta — but only if he’s asked.

MacKay, in an exclusive interview with the Sun, spoke highly of his former federal Conservative caucus colleague and current Wildrose Leader Brian Jean.

There are some members of Wildrose and some in Alberta’s Progressive Conservative, headed by interim leader Ric McIvor, who believe the two parties should come together to fight Rachel Notley’s NDP.

MacKay led the federal Progressive Conservative party when it merged with Stephen Harper’s Canadian Alliance in 2003, a union that was tricky to pull off and almost as tricky to hold together.

“We had several close calls,” MacKay said.

MacKay has talked to Jean about that experience.

“I had a great chat with Brian Jean and he’s a good guy,” MacKay said. “Very decent man and highly motivated and I think recognizes the necessity, under the right conditions, to unify conservatives in his province.”

Jean was a Conservative MP from 2004 to 2014. MacKay served in Parliament from 1997 until last year when he decided not to seek re-election.

MacKay stressed that he’s happy to continue discussions with Jean — or others in Alberta.

“This has to be an organic effort and that means it’s up to the membership, the party members, and the leaders to sort through that,” Mackay said.

“But would I be willing to help in any way? By all means. But only when asked.”

ON PIPELINES, CONSERVATIVES SHOULD BE ‘THOUGHTFUL’ ‘DISPASSIONATE’ CHAMPIONS

MacKay says Canada’s Conservatives should continue to be champions of energy and pipeline development but by being more “thoughtful” and “dispassionate” to win the support of First Nations and environmental groups.

And the former Stephen Harper-era cabinet minister and potential leadership candidate challenged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to provide better leadership on pipelines.

“What he’s doing wrong is sending signals that he’s not going to be decisive or lead on this critically important natural resource and economic issue,” MacKay said in an exclusive interview with the Sun.

“There’s a very strong dispassionate leadership role for the federal government and for the prime minister and I’m one who believes very strongly in the necessity of these pipelines, especially in these tough economic times. They’re huge job creators,” MacKay said.

“It should be decided on the business case, on the merits, on the environmental issues — issues that are factual, not based on emotion or rhetoric.”

Asked whether the Conservatives will — or should — approach pipeline politics in a different way than they did during the Harper years, MacKay said he hopes “it be constructive … in a way that will move this file forward.”

That means, perhaps, less demonization of opponents and a greater reliance on the facts.

“Most people don’t want to see an overly partisan position on this,” MacKay said. “I think there’s a thoughtful argument to be made. I think we can work with First Nations and with environmental activists and others to make the case in a way that makes sense that ‘answers the mail’ on some of these concerns.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/02/26/peter-mackay-would-help-unite-albertas-right

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