Separatists on parade, 3: western separatists in the CPC

Conservatives were outraged two weeks ago when the Liberals and NDP planned to form a coalition and the Bloc Quebecois pledged to support if for 18 months. Indeed, Harper himself, in his five-minute televised address to the nation on December 2, mentioned “separatists” four times: “This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists”.

In response Saskatchewan blogger, Buckdog, asks an important question: If Harper And The Conservatives HATE Separatists ... (the Quebecois version) ... Why Don't They Also Condemn Western Separatists? A fair question, as I'm sure anyone would admit.

Another question. Wouldn't it be best if the Conservative Party restricted its membership to non-separatists? A case in point: David Crutcher is the Executive Director of the new separatist Western Business and Taxpayers Association. His profile on the WBTA's website happily identifies him as federal Conservative. Here's the screenshot:
Nor is Crutcher the only one.

• A few years ago, Gord Stamp was forced to resign as campaign manager to Alberta MP Peter Goldring when it was revealed that he'd been espousing separatism on the internet.
  
• In 2001, two Alliance MPs attended the founding convention of the Alberta Independence Party (on which here)
• Bert Brown (who was at that time one of Alberta's "senators-in-waiting") attended the same meeting, actually spoke to its delegates,* and is quoted as wishing them "every success" (reports here and here and in many places in the printed press). Harper appointed Brown to the senate in July, 2007.

The question, then should not be whether or when Harper will criticize western separatists. It's whether and when he'll kick them out of his own party.

*Re-reading press reports of Brown's participation at the AIP's founding convention, it is not clear whether Bert Brown spoke; over here, Jane Morgan, the wife of the man who became leader of the party at that convention, insists that this did not happen.

Other posts in this series:

• separatists on parade, 1: Erik Gregson
  
• separatists on parade, 2: WBTA claims to have ex-MPs
  
• Separatists on parade, 3: western separatists in the CPC
  
• Separatists on parade, 4: Erik Gregson to chair WBTA convention
  
• Separatists on parade, 5: Separatists bungle copy-and-paste
  
• Separatists on parade, 6: Erik Gregson comes out of the closet