Paul Hinman fighting claim he's been removed as Wildrose Independence leader
A man who insists he's still the leader of an Alberta separatist party says an effort to push him out, amid allegations of theft, is being led by "agents" who have infiltrated the board.
A statement on the website of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta (WIPA) states that the leadership role was vacant as of Monday, but Paul Hinman says the job is still his.
"We have a board that's gone AWOL. They've hijacked the party, they're contravening all of our bylaws, and procedures and policies, and it's just wrong. They can't do that," Hinman told CTV News Edmonton Wednesday night.
The post does not say why Hinman is no longer leader. An email to board president Rick Northey and the party's communications account was not responded to.
"Under the Party bylaws, the Board of Governors has the duty of appointing an Interim Leader and will make an announcement within the next seven days," WIPA's website stated.
Hinman believes the board voted in favour of removing him, but insists that's not the proper process. He said allegations he took party money he wasn't supposed to are false.
"Where's the evidence on this? You can make allegations against anybody but you have to bring the evidence and not just say, 'Oh, he stole money.' That has no credibility in any court," he said.
The party is set to meet on July 23 in Red Deer for an annual general meeting. Hinman has spoken to his lawyer, and is hopeful he'll have a chance to state his case to members at that meeting.
When asked why he's being pushed out, Hinman said some in political circles don't like the party's stated goal of independence for Alberta.
"There's a lot at stake if Alberta was to rise up and say, "We don't want to be part of this anymore," Hinman said.
"I think there's a lot of nefarious activities going on to undermine our movement and we have implants, plants, agents inside our board, I believe."
Hinman finished third in a March byelection in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche with 11 per cent of the vote.
The party raised $114,829 in 2021, according to statements filed with Elections Alberta.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.