Separatists on parade, 10: another separatist in the Conservative Party

The new Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA) is a new separatist organization dedicated to creating a separate state in western Canada, first surfacing in early December. It recently revealed its new policy chair, Rob Allen, who (as BCL points out) seems to have a degree from a diploma mill. (One wonders whether the WBTA foresees its new state having a policy against credential fraud. Perhaps the policy chair has a position on this.)

There is another noteworthy point in Mr. Allen's profile, here:

Mr. Allen claims to be a member of the federal Conservative Party.

It is odd how many separatists there are among the Conservatives, as we have pointed out before:

• David Crutcher, the Executive Director of the group, blithely reports his membership in the Conservative Party in his profile (see here, which I discussed here);
• Eric Gregson, who is chairing the group's founding convention, is a prominent Conservative (see here) who seems close to Harper (here);
• a few years ago, Gordon Stamp was forced to resign as campaign manager for Conservative MP Peter Goldring after his separatist postings on the internet became known (see here);
• Bert Brown, whom Harper subsequently appointed to the senate, attended the founding convention of the Alberta Independence Party in 2001 and is quoted as having wished that group 'every success' (reports here and here).

Now, it is perfectly understandable that western separatists (whose politics tend to be conservative) would have once belonged to the Reform, Alliance, and then Conservative Parties. But I can't be the only one who is struck at how matter-of-factly these people can identify themselves as separatists and claim membership in the CPC -- the CPC is (after all) a federalist party.

This all raises the question: what are these people doing in the Conservative Party of Canada? why does the CPC allow this?  and more importantly, why do they feel comfortable there?

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
• Separatists on parade, 7: WBTA BC Chair called for the execution of all Liberals
  
• Separatists on parade, 8: WBTA BC Chair comments on race war
• Separatists on parade, 9: Harper once supported separatist Erik Gregson