Wexit Canada

Wexit Canada is a Canadian federal political party. It advocates for the secession of Western Canada, which includes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The name is a play on Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.[5]

Wexit Canada
LeaderJay Hill (interim)
FoundedJanuary 10, 2020 (2020-01-10)
HeadquartersLeduc, Alberta
Ideology
ColoursBlack
Slogan"The West Wants Out"
Seats in the
Senate
0 / 105
Seats in the
House of Commons
0 / 338
Website
wexitcanada.com

The party plans to run 104 candidates across the four provinces in the next federal election and to also run candidates for the provincial levels of government.[2][6] The group initially gained traction in October 2019, shortly after the 2019 Canadian federal election, when the Liberal Party under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was re-elected to form government.[7][8] As of early 2020, the party started purchasing billboards in Alberta criticizing Trudeau, sparking public discussion over the lack of representation in western Canada.[9] The party conducted a protest in Edmonton, involving approximately 100 supporters.[3]

Elections Canada considers the party "eligible for registration" (under section 387 of the Canada Elections Act) as of January 10, 2020.[10]

The party is currently led by former Conservative Party of Canada House leader Jay Hill following the resignation of former leader Peter Downing.[11] Hill has said he wants the party to serve a purpose in the West similar to what the Bloc Québécois has done for Quebec.[12]

Western separation

Wexit Canada's operators plan for their federal-level party to be used as a "shield" for smaller provincial operations. No member of parliament in the House of Commons openly sympathizes with the idea of secession. The party wants a presence in the House to advance its goals. The party says it lacks enough momentum in Manitoba to achieve its goals there; however, it has larger pockets of support in the other three provinces.[1][13]

Provincial parties

Alberta

On January 11, 2020 a Wexit rally was held at the Alberta legislature grounds with the goal of collecting the 8,400 signatures required for official party status.[14]

Wexit reserved the name "Wexit Alberta" with Elections Alberta for use by a provincial party.[15] According to its constitution, its plans included abolishing the provincial branch of the RCMP and the establishment of an "Alberta National Police" and a "Provincial Sheriff Program". It planned to adopt an official currency to replace the Canadian dollar as well.[16][17][18]

On April 27, 2020, Wexit Alberta and the Freedom Conservative Party of Alberta announced plans to merge into a new party called the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta. [19][20] Both parties voted to approve the merger on June 29, 2020.[21][22] In July 2020, Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta was officially registered with Elections Alberta, giving effect to the merger.[23][24]

British Columbia

In November 2019, members of a Wexit group held a rally in Prince George.[25] Wexit BC became a registered party with Elections BC in 2020.[26] Its leader is Lee Smith.[27][13]

Saskatchewan

The day after the 2019 federal election, Scott Moe, premier of Saskatchewan, proposed a "New Deal" with the federal government. He called for an end to the federal carbon tax, renegotiation of the equalization formula, and action on oil-pipeline projects.[28] In the weeks after the election, Wexit volunteers began collecting signatures to form a new party. They called on Moe to hold a referendum on separation, saying that if he did not agree they would form a party to do so.[29][30]

On March 10, 2020, Wexit Saskatchewan became registered as a provincial party with Elections Saskatchewan.[31][32] Its first interim leader was Jake Wall.[33][34] Once registered, Wexit Saskatchewan proposed a referendum on independence in its platform.[35]

On June 3, 2020, the party's executive board voted to change the party's name to Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan. That decision ratified by a membership vote.[36][37] In July 2020, the party officially changed its name and named Wade Sira as its new interim leader.[37]

Anti-Trudeau billboards

In early 2020, billboards that called for Trudeau's jailing appeared around Alberta, including Calgary and Edmonton. The billboards sparked an uproar and support on social media.[38][39] Those billboards pointed to the Wexit Party's website and were purchased though Signpatico, an advertising agency based in Regina. Signpatico promised to vet future ads more carefully and stated, "We do fundamentally stand by freedom of expression, as per the Charter. But we're not intending on inciting perceptions of hate speech or offensive ads."[38]

Wexit Canada's interim leader Jay Hill, a former Member of Parliament

Party Leaders
Leadership elections Name Term start Term end Riding while leader Notes
None Peter Downing January 12, 2020 June 23, 2020 None First leader
Interim Jay Hill June 23, 2020 present None Interim leader

See also

References
  1. "Wexit The Plan" (PDF). Wexit Canada. Wexit Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  2. Dryden, Joel (January 11, 2020). "Wexit party granted eligibility for next federal election". CBC News. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  3. "'We're looking for our own country': Wexit supporters brave cold in Edmonton for referendum protest Saturday". Global News. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  4. "Wexit and the Alternative Right (as of December 2, 2019)". Active History. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  5. "'Wexit' should heed pitfalls faced by other separatist movements: experts". CTV News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  6. Rieger, Sarah (November 17, 2019). "Wexit party to run federal and provincial candidates across Western Canada". CBC News. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  7. Macvicar, Adam (January 10, 2020). "Wexit political party can now run candidates in Canadian federal elections". Global News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. Bogart, Nicole (October 22, 2019). "Wexit: How a political divide in Western Canada is driving calls for separation". CTV News. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  9. Antoneshyn, Alex (January 12, 2020). "Wexit Canada becomes eligible federal political party". CTV News Edmonton. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  10. "Registered Political Parties and Parties Eligible for Registration". Elections Canada. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020.
  11. "Jay Hill, former House leader under Harper, named new head of separatist party Wexit Canada". CBC News. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  12. "New Wexit party needs to do for the West for the Bloc did for Quebec: interim leader". Global News.
  13. Toneguzzi, Mario (November 26, 2019). "'Everyone's angry': Why you're wrong if you think Wexit is just 'an Alberta thing'". National Post. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  14. Yousif, Nadine (February 11, 2020). "'Alberta has been cheated': Wexit supporters on what drives them". Maclean's. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  15. "Wexit Alberta". Wexit Alberta. Wexit Alberta. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  16. "Wexit Alberta Constitution". Wexit Alberta. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  17. "Wexit Alberta Platform". Wexit Alberta. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  18. Levinson-King, Robin (October 11, 2019). "Wexit: Why some Albertans want to separate from Canada". BBC News. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  19. Mertz, Emily (April 27, 2020). "FCP and Wexit members to vote on merging into Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta". Global News. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  20. Antoneshyn, Alex (April 27, 2020). "Union between Wexit, Freedom Conservative parties on the table". CTV News. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  21. Labby, Bryan (June 30, 2020). "Wexit Alberta and Freedom Conservative Party vote to merge as Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta". CBC News. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  22. Naylor, Dave (June 29, 2020). "The 'Wildrose' is back: FCP & Wexit members vote to form new party". Western Standard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  23. Naylor, Dave (July 17, 2020). "WIP gets official status from Elections Alberta". Western Standard. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  24. "Parties". Elections Alberta. 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  25. Fetinko, Matt (November 23, 2019). "First Wexit BC rally held in Prince George". CKPG-TV. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  26. "Wexit British Columbia". Wexit British Columbia. Wexit British Columbia. 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  27. "Registered Political Parties - Information" (PDF). Elections BC. April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  28. Hunter, Adam. "Premier Moe demands 'new deal,' says he is handing Justin Trudeau a 'fire extinguisher'". CBC News. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  29. White-Crummey, Arthur (November 8, 2019). "Wexit party registration drive coming to Saskatchewan". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  30. Wiens, Colton (November 17, 2019). "Wexit Saskatchewan gathers signatures to form new party". CTV News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  31. Charlton, Jonathan (March 10, 2020). "Wexit Saskatchewan slams Moe, Sask Party as it applies for official party status". CTV News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  32. "Wexit Saskatchewan becomes official political party". CBC News. March 10, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  33. "Registered Political Parties". Elections Saskatchewan. 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  34. "Registered Political Parties (as of March 10, 2020)" (PDF). Elections Saskatchewan. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  35. "Platform". Wexit Saskatchewan. 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  36. Harding, Lee (June 10, 2020). "'Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan' set for a membership vote". Western Standard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  37. Zinchuk, Brian (July 26, 2020). "Provincial seperatist party rebrands, appoints new interim leader". Humboldt Journal. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  38. Franklin, Michael (January 11, 2020). "Anti-Trudeau billboards advertising Alberta Wexit campaign cause an uproar". CTV News. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  39. Dryden, Joel (January 12, 2020). "After anti-Trudeau billboards spark outrage, ad company says it will re-evaluate vetting process". CBC News. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
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