Alberta UCP Sues Former Caucus Members Over Use of Progressive Conservative Name

Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) has filed a lawsuit against two former caucus members who want to form a party under the “progressive conservative” banner, arguing the branding legally belongs to the UCP and that its use would mislead voters.

The United Conservative Association, the society that operates the UCP, filed a lawsuit in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta on Nov. 7 against former caucus members MLA Peter Guthrie and MLA Scott Sinclair over their plans to “revive” the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.

Guthrie and Sinclair, who were expelled from the UCP caucus earlier this year, have signalled plans to launch a new party under the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta (PC Alberta) banner. The pair initially considered forming a party from scratch but later said they would join the Alberta Party, aiming to eventually rename it “Progressive Conservative.”

The UCP was formed in July 2017 when members of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties voted to merge. The Progressive Conservatives governed Alberta uninterrupted for 44 years before the NDP assumed power in 2015.

The lawsuit argues the defendants have infringed on UCP trademarks, noting that since the merging of the parties, the society assumed ownership of the “names, political party registration, brand, trademarks, and goodwill” of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PCAA)—another name for the former Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta.

In addition to Guthrie and Sinclair, the lawsuit also names the Alberta Party and its leader, Lindsay Amantea, as defendants.

“The PC Alberta name, logo and history legally belong to the United Conservative Party, and we have a responsibility to protect them,” Dave Prisco, the UCP’s director of communications, told The Epoch Times in a statement. “If the Alberta Party wants support, they should build their own movement. Instead, this is meant to mislead and confuse voters by claiming a history and name that isn’t theirs.”

Guthrie, who previously served as infrastructure minister, was expelled from the UCP caucus in April after voting for an opposition NDP motion calling for a public inquiry after allegations emerged of political interference with Alberta Health Services procurement practices.

Sinclair was voted out of the UCP caucus in March after saying he would vote against the government budget. He also supported the NDP motion for a public inquiry.

Guthrie says the trademark argument is invalid, arguing that “the UCP let the PC name lapse – and in 2023 a private citizen legally registered it.” He alleges the party is using the lawsuit to “silence” those who challenge it.

The PCAA name is listed by Elections Alberta as a reserved party name and has held that status since at least March 2024, according to the agency’s 2023–2024 annual report. The report also notes that the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PC) was de-registered as a party when it merged with the Wildrose Party, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

A party name reservation means the name is set aside while the applicant group completes the requirements for official party registration. The Epoch Times was unable to verify who has reserved the PCAA’s party name.

“It isn’t about trademarks or party names. And it isn’t about justice. This is about intimidation—and it fits a pattern,” Guthrie said in a Nov. 17 social media post. “This lawsuit is about fear—fear of competition and fear of a conservative movement they can’t control.”

The office of the premier, Sinclair, and the Alberta Party did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. Guthrie’s office said he wasn’t available to comment at this time.

The lawsuit says the UCP has used the PCAA brand in its operations and that Albertans “commonly associate” terms such as “Progressive Conservative,” “Conservative,” “PC,” and “PCAA” with UCP.

“The United Conservative Association has utilized the PCAA name, logos, brand, and goodwill since acquiring it,” reads the lawsuit. “The United Conservative Association ran a PCAA candidate in the 2019 general election, it has defended legal actions commenced against the PCAA, it has used the PCAA name and brand in its political operations, and it has drawn upon the goodwill associated with the PCAA.”

The lawsuit notes that Guthrie, Sinclair, and Amantea submitted an application to Elections Alberta this summer to change the Alberta Party’s name to “Alberta Progressive Conservative Party,” but the application has not yet been approved.

The Alberta Party says on its website that its membership “voted overwhelmingly” to amend the party’s name during a special general meeting in August, but it does not disclose the new name, saying it will be announced once confirmed by Elections Alberta.

The United Conservative Association is seeking $500,000 in damages, an injunction preventing the defendants from using the PC trademarks, and a declaration that their use constitutes trademark infringement.