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Maverick Party leadership candidate speaking in Vernon next week

Leadership hopeful in town

A leadership candidate for one of Canada's newest federal parties will be speaking in Vernon next week.

Colin Krieger is currently the lone confirmed leadership candidate for Canada's Maverick Party, according the party's website, and he'll be speaking at an event in Vernon next Friday evening.

Building off a movement of western separatist ideals in Alberta following the 2018 federal election, Wexit Canada was officially founded in early 2020. The party changed its name to the Maverick Party later that year.

During the 2021 federal election, the Alberta-based party ran 29 candidates in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba, but none of the party's candidates were elected.

"Things could have turned out better. I'm not going to try and BS you," interim leader Jay Hill said following the election.

Now, the party is looking for a new leader, with their leadership election scheduled for May 14.

Krieger, an Alberta resident, ran for the Maverick Party in 2021 in the Peace River – Westlock riding, where he placed fourth, gaining 5.5% of the vote.

On Friday, he'll be speaking at Vernon's Holiday Express at 4716 34 St, beginning at 6 p.m.

“We remain steadfast in our belief that autonomy and independence is the single most important political issue for Westerners,” the party states on its website.

One of the leaders of the recent protests in Ottawa earlier this year, Tamara Lich, was one of the original members of the Maverick Party Governing Council, but she resigned from the party in February. Lich was charged with counselling to commit mischief in connection with the protests, and she was granted bail earlier this month.



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