The Wildrose Independence Party has a new leader – Paul Hinman..Hinman took 92.7% of the ballots cast in a yes or no vote..Hinman was the founding leader of the old provincial Wildrose and was been a longtime MLA..Hinman was the only candidate running for the leadership but it is not enough to be uncontested — to win one must possess 50 percent of the vote plus one to be confirmed as the new leader. Hinman has been the interim leader of the WIP since July 17 2020 but this win marks his official debut as party leader..The results were better than Hinman expected, and hopefully situates him and the WIP for what he hopes to be “a massive win for Alberta in 2023.”.“There’s two things that you worry about — one that you’re kind of lukewarm, 60 or 70%, and two is that only a few hundred people show up to vote. I was extremely pleased with the 1,651 votes and 93% support. It’s invigorating, and really allows a person to go out there and represent those people that voted for you,” he said Wednesday..Hinman has big goals for the WIP moving forward – to incorporate constituency associations into a more prominent role by connecting with more people and wants to show Albertans they can and should demand better from their federal leadership..After a troubling COVID-19 filled season, Hinman is looking forward to interacting with people face to face again..“It just goes to show how much Albertans want to change and realize that the status quo is to our demise,” he said..Three of Hinman’s biggest goals for himself and the party are the protection of individual rights, the restriction and shrinking of government, and an increased focus on transparency and accountability in government. Hinman plans to run his party by being “transparent, with the books open and competitive bidding for government things.”.“It’s about good government, accountability, protecting the individual, and restraining the size and growth of government — which is what we’ve been focused on for the last year,” he said..Sovereignty has also been a major sticking point for Hinman and the WIP. He said he’s looking forward to a potential sovereignist movement encompassing not only Alberta but most of Western Canada..“In order to become a sovereign nation, it has to be done province by province. I certainly see Saskatchewan and BC wanting to join us, possibly Manitoba. I would hope that we can bring on the Yukon, the Northwest territories,” he said..“I see a sovereign and free Western Canada down the future, but Alberta will have to lead and be the first one to take those steps before it’ll give confidence to other groups.”.Hinman says that although equalization is typically at the forefront of most Alberta-centric discussions, he believes it is a red herring for some of the more pressing issues facing Alberta — namely getting products such as oil to the national and global markets in an efficient way. The main focus of the WIP according to Hinman is not so much equalization as sovereignty..“Equalization is kind of a red herring in the group in that it’s a small part of the problem, but it isn’t the problem. The NDP and the UCP act and talk like equalization is the problem… Environmental oppression that we have here in Alberta here from Ottawa is the problem,” he said..“The fact they won’t allow us to have our constitutional rights to get our products to tidewater is the problem… The equalization is just such a small part of the overall problem, it just isn’t where we’re focused on. We’re focused on becoming a sovereign nation, that’s the only hope we have in the future..“Just the size of the debt that Canada has taken on and pretty much doubled in the last year and going to carry on this year is unsurmountable for Albertans.”.According to Hinman, Alberta needs to focus internally rather than engaging with Ottawa as most of what our current government is moving towards is “not in Alberta’s best interests.”.“The federal government as a whole. They vote to oppress us to basically shut down our business our lifestyle. The antagonism towards Alberta is incredible to me. Those that aren’t antagonistic towards us are ambivalent to what’s going on,” he said..“This is characteristic in broken and dysfunctional relationships — other people stand by and they don’t see it. It’s the same with bullying. You can say it’s wrong, but then when you put names to it or you’re there you look the other way quickly.”.Hinman pointed out the consistent hypocrisy of the eastern attacks against the Alberta oil industry..“We have a bunch of hypocrites out east that think that it’s fine to dump sewage and fly all over the world in their private jets, they’re happy to buy oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, but somehow they see us as the demons of the world when in fact they’re using it always,” he said..“These so-called ‘environmentalists’ — these hypocrites — they use it, but they tell us that we can’t have it. They want to shut down Alberta, and the reason I believe it is is the animosity and the jealousy. They think nothing of buying oil from Saudi Arabia but won’t buy ours.”.Specifically speaking about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Hinman said he believes Trudeau is looking to put in place a public policy to benefit him personally..“Our prime minister has said that he wants to take advantage of the COVID, to shoot towards the global reset. He wants to be able to — I believe — declare bankruptcy, and to come under the thumb of the International Monetary Fund the World Economic Forum. All of those things are his agenda and that’s not in Alberta’s best interests. Our only hope is to get out,” he said..“We can’t be contributing to Ottawa, and Ottawa thinking that we are the ones that are going to pay off that debt. Canada is the titanic, it’s hit the iceberg, and our captain is declaring that the ship is unsinkable.”.Hinman’s main goal for himself and his party — especially if given the chance to form the Alberta he wants — “would be a sovereign, free [Albertan] nation.”.Hinman specified he prefers to use the term “sovereign” as opposed to “independent” because independence isn’t enough anymore..“The big goal is to exercise our full autonomy, to have our own tax Alberta revenue agency, to have our own police force, our own pension plan, our own employment insurance plan, our own immigration policies,” he said..“Most important, to be governed by our own environmental act and then to exercise that full autonomy from Ottawa and then allow Albertans to vote for sovereignty. That we can be prosperous and free and have something to hand down to our children and grandchildren.”.Jackie Conroy is a Reporter for the Western Standard.jconroy@westernstandardonline.com
