"A very fiery and short political career:" Derek Fildebrandt barred from rejoining UCP

SOURCE:  CalgaryHerald.com, 2018-02-03
This page last modified: 2020-08-28 21:55:27 -0700 (PST)

Derek Fildebrandt was once one of the most high-profile figures on the Alberta political scene, a firebrand MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) with aspirations to a major role in a future conservative government.

Now, Fildebrandt's political career is in tatters after being blocked Friday from returning to the United Conservative Party (UCP) caucus and barred from seeking a UCP nomination for the next election by party Leader Jason Kenney.

The move by Kenney followed Fildebrandt pleading guilty to illegal hunting in provincial court Friday, the latest in a string of legal and political problems for the Strathmore-Brooks MLA, who left the UCP caucus to sit as an independent last summer amidst an expense controversy.

In a statement, Kenney said Fildebrandt had not disclosed that he faced illegal hunting charges during a lengthy November meeting with him and UCP House leader Jason Nixon on whether there were outstanding matters that would affect him being readmitted to the caucus.

He said it is clear that Fildebrandt had "deliberately misled us ... consequently, neither I nor our caucus can have confidence in the veracity of his undertakings to us.

"As elected representatives, we must be expected to show the highest level of integrity. MLA Derek Fildebrandt has unfortunately demonstrated a pattern of behaviour that does not meet that standard," said Kenney, adding that caucus supported the decision.

Kenney was not made available for an interview Friday. It was not immediately clear why the party waited until now to act, as the illegal hunting charges became public in December.

That revelation came just before he was handed a $402 fine on Dec. 18 2017, after admitting a charge of hit and run under the Traffic Safety Act in connection with a collision in June 2016, where he backed into a neighbour's van in Edmonton.

Fildebrandt told CBC as he was leaving provincial court in Didsbury Friday that in the November 2017 meeting with Kenney "he hadn't expected a grilling about everything going on. "It had been my intention to discuss it, but I didn't at the time," he said.

Fildebrandt did not respond to a request for an interview, but later tweeted "Revolution devours its own children."

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