Brian Jean to Jason Kenney: My tour is bigger than your tour

Brian Jean's province-wide tour to convince conservative Albertans his Wildrose Party is a better choice than the NDP stopped in Calgary Thursday evening.

But rather than showing solidarity with Progressive Conservative leadership hopeful Jason Kenney, Jean took the opportunity to illustrate the differences between the two parties despite many who wish they would come together to take on Rachel Notley.

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Jean didn't hold back on what he thought of the party Kenney hopes to lead.

"We are going to have to wait and see but I certainly think it reminds Albertans of a legacy of PC management that is frankly something that I don't think that I would be very proud of," Jean told reporters before addressing supporters.

Earlier in the day it was announced former Alberta premier and PC party leader Alison Redford would be investigated again over conflict-of-interest allegations in the awarding of a tobacco-litigation contract.

In a news release Thursday, British Columbia Conflict of Interest Commissioner Paul Fraser said he had determined a "re-investigation is warranted based on new information that was revealed."

There are several groups in the province working to bring the Wildrose and PC parties together but how to do that is the tricky part.

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Do Wildrose members fold into the PC party or vice versa or is a third party the way to go, and who will be the leader? These questions and more will have to be resolved well in advance of the next provincial election in 2019.

In April, one of the unity groups voted to create a third conservative party at a Red Deer meeting.

In June, a third right-wing party was born or perhaps reborn as the Reform Party of Alberta registers with Elections Alberta.

Still, Kenney hopes to connect with and unify "free enterprise" Albertans with a summer tour of the province.

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When asked how his tour differed from Kenney's, Jean said it's a matter of numbers.

"All I can tell you is that I have overwhelming response," Jean said.

"I have had up to 600 people out at meetings within the last couple of months. For the most part I have had 300, 350, 400 people whether it is in a small community such as Spruce Grove or Grande Prairie or Edmonton or Calgary. We seem to have good numbers," he added.

"I clearly feel very, very confident in our message and the response by Albertans."

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