A new political party positioning itself as a home for disaffected conservative voters is heading to Calgary on Thursday, as the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta holds a formal launch event in the city.
Party leader Peter Guthrie, who served as a member of Premier Danielle Smith's government caucus before being expelled in April 2025, launched the new party last December. His removal from caucus came after he publicly criticized the province's handling of a health contract scandal and voted alongside opposition members on a motion calling for a public inquiry.
Guthrie says the event marks an important moment for Alberta conservatives who feel the political landscape has shifted beneath their feet.
"The UCP has shifted so much in their beliefs that that progressive conservative voter has left the building, and they are now the political homeless, and they're looking for a home," Guthrie said.
The party leader addressed the often-cited concern about vote-splitting — the argument that a new right-of-centre party would divide the conservative vote and potentially benefit the NDP in the next provincial election. Guthrie pushed back firmly on that framing.
"That's something that you find with the UCP is something that they will bring up regularly," he said. "Ultimately, that vote-split argument is just a political construct."
Guthrie's message appears aimed squarely at voters who once found their political home in the old Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta — a tradition he argues the current UCP government has abandoned. He says people across the province are actively searching for something different ahead of the next provincial election.
The Edmonton launch event on Tuesday, Feb. 17, drew early supporters and media attention, setting the stage for Thursday's Calgary appearance as the party works to build momentum beyond the capital.
Source: Calgary Herald. This article was rewritten and expanded by WestNet News Staff based on original reporting.