The Maverick Party of Canada is a political party that was officially formed last year and wants to represent the best interests of Western Canada.
On May 12th, the Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Electoral District Association for the party was formed.
CKDM sought additional information, speaking with two representatives from the party to further understand their policies and rhetoric.
Don Armitage, the President of the EDA, spoke about the party:
"We consider ourselves to be the western equivalent of the Bloc Quebecois. We are exclusively representing the interests of western Canadians."
Mr. Armitage cites that the west has all but been forgotten on a federal level.
"The conservatives that use to be the best representative of western interests have pretty much abandoned the west under their new leader Erin O'Toole."
Armitage says the abandonment from the west is tied in with the carbon tax policy that O'Toole has seemingly flip-flopped on.
"It was not a policy passed at their policy convention, but he is now advocating for a carbon tax which he said he would not do. In fact, he signed a specific pledge with the Canadian taxpayers federation saying that he would not endorse the carbon tax."
Meanwhile, Deputy Leader and founder of the party, Allan Kerpan, spoke furthermore about the parties' intentions.
"What we set out to do is to get a fair deal for the west. We have been hard done by since confederation."
Kerpan spoke of consequences if the Maverick party's needs are not met
"If we do not get the deal we want will have to look at further measures."
If it does come to it, the Maverick party plans to persuade governments at provincial levels to hold a referendum on western independence.
The party has an interim leader, Jay Hill, but the party hopes to finalize an official leader by the end of August, as the potential for a federal election is growing by the day.
For more information about the party, visit their site here.
