"Revolution devours its own children.”
That was the statement tweeted by disgraced former MLA Derek Fildebrandt on Feb. 2 after he was kicked out of the the United Conservative Party (UCP) for pleading guilty to killing a deer on private property without permission.
Although the circumstances are quite different, the sentiment nonetheless springs to mind when discussing the retirement of Brian Jean, former leader of the Wildrose Party.
Jean has had a difficult time over the past few years. After spending months in care, his son Michael passed away three years ago at the age of 24 from lymphoma.
His home was among those destroyed in the Fort McMurray wildfire.
And finally, his bid to lead the new United Conservative Party (UCP) ended in defeat against Jason Kenney, the close confidante of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
If and when the UCP succeed in unseating the NDP, Kenney will no doubt receive the lion’s share of the credit for "uniting the right” in the wake of the Progressive Conservatives’ stunning defeat in the 2015 election.
Jean, sadly, will probably be forgotten by the UCP membership, which (if we’re being honest) is dominated by former Progressive Conservatives.
Nonetheless, Jean took over the Wildrose Party just after the floor-crossing of Danielle Smith and half her caucus, a move that devastated her former party.
He helped bring the Wildrose back from the brink of ruin, forging it into a formidable Official Opposition that could have at least given the NDP a strong challenger in the next provincial election, had the Wildrose not been absorbed into the UCP.
Whether that was the right decision is a moot point. Jean’s political career is now done.
For his contribution to provincial politics, as well as his representation of Lac La Biche as its MP, we thank him.
