Derek Sloan explains why he chose to run in Alberta, not Ontario

By Adam Soos
|
August 23, 2021

By Ezra Levant

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When we last spoke to independent MP Derek Sloan, he was in the process of registering his new federal True North Party of Canada, with the hopes of taking on the likes of Justin Trudeau and Erin O’Toole. When Trudeau called an election for September 20, Sloan knew he would likely not have time to finish the process of setting up his party. But never being one to sit idly by, he started considering how he might best get involved.

We heard that Sloan was going to be making a major announcement, so we made our way to the Cochrane Curling Club, where about 700 people had gathered to hear the news. Crowds in the hundreds have been gathering in towns across Alberta for some time, and an undeniable momentum was building, but one question remained for many Albertans. Sloan was making an awful lot of sense to them, but if he was destined to go back to his riding in Ontario, what could he really do for small town Alberta?

That question was answered when Sloan announced that he would be running as an independent candidate in the Banff—Airdrie riding in the upcoming federal election. Beyond the growing support that Sloan was receiving in the area, he also wanted to specifically run against current Banff—Airdrie MP Blake Richards, the Conservative Party’s Chief Opposition Whip.

Richards is effectively Erin O’Toole's bulldog, ensuring that Conservative MPs vote with the party, and not necessarily with their constituents’ best interests in mind. Sloan is a major advocate for grassroots politics and accountability to voters, so he wants to make a point by taking on a party insider who he says exemplifies many of the problems plaguing the O'Toole Conservatives.

We joined Sloan for an exclusive interview to discuss his announcement and spoke with some folks in attendance to get their reactions to the news.

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