The “Wexit” movement has applied to become a federal political party, according to Elections Canada.
The agency said Tuesday it’s start the first part of the verification process, which is to ensure the application is complete and contains all the mandatory information. Staff will then verify the 250 signatures of supporters collected by the group, then clear it to begin the official registration process.
The Wexit movement took shape in Alberta after the Trudeau Liberals won the federal election on Oct. 21. It bills itself as separatist, focusing on enhanced economic, military and geo-political cooperation with the United States, delivering essential government services only, and ending public investment in “unreliable” energy technology such as wind and solar.
It has a motto, “The West Wants Out,” and a Facebook group with more than 263,000 members as of Tuesday morning.
To register as a federal party, Elections Canada needs:
- the full name of the political party
- either the party’s short-form name or the abbreviation of the party’s name, if any, which will appear on election documents such as the ballot
- the party’s logo
- the fundamental purpose of the party
- the party’s policy on the protection of personal information
- the name and address of the party’s leader, and a copy of the party’s resolution to appoint its leader that is certified by the leader and another officer of the party
- the address of the party’s office where records are kept and to which communications may be addressed
- the names and addresses of the party’s officers and their signed consent to act (minimum of three officers)
- the name and address of the party’s auditor and the auditor’s signed consent to act as auditor
- the name and address of the party’s chief agent and his or her signed consent to act as chief agent
- the names, addresses and signatures of 250 electors and their declarations in the prescribed form that they are members of the party and support the party’s application for registration
- the leader’s declaration in the prescribed form that having considered all the factors relevant to determining the party’s purposes, one of the party’s fundamental purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election
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