EDMONTON — UCP members are voting on what the party's committee deemed the "most successful" resolutions as the party works to whittle down proposals ahead of its AGM in November, and Alberta independence may finally reach the debate floor. The UCP distributed the list of potential resolutions and policy proposals Sept. 15, after a vetting process in which members voted on resolutions proposed from their region, before the Provincial Policy and Governance Committee analyzed the results and distributed a list across Alberta. After the initial vetting, party members have until Sept. 29 to review the ones the PPGC deemed "most successful," with the highest-rated proposals moving forward to the AGM in November. The usual are present within the proposed policies, including calls to protect agriculture, opposition to the industrial carbon tax and carbon capture, freedom of choice regarding health care and stronger firearm rights. However, the list also includes a collection of proposals worth watching. .Alberta independence"Pursue a democratic and lawful process to secure Alberta’s independence from Canada as a sovereign state."Individuals have speculated about the level of support within the UCP party for Alberta independence, and it could be revealed in November if enough members push for the above mentioned policy. Alberta’s independence movement loomed over the 2025 AGM, as there was a push to include it in the policy resolution debate, but a split vote left the UCP board deciding that the meeting was not the place for such a debate. The renewed push adds an interesting twist, however, as the AGM takes place roughly one month after Alberta's referendum on whether Albertans want Premier Danielle Smith's government to pursue a binding independence referendum, or remain in Canada. Smith has said she intends to respect the results of the October referendum, but an AGM vote that conflicts with the referendum could complicate the situation. Alberta's 2027 election adds spice to the potential policy debate, as Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has deemed the UCP to be a "separatist party," in an attempt to scare conservative-leaning voters who are pro-Canada. This proposed policy could take Nenshi's statements from accusations to reality. .Binding referendums"The United Conservative Party believes that the Government of Alberta should ensure the results of provincial referendums are binding to the fullest extent of Alberta’s constitutional authority, eliminate blackout periods associated with citizen initiatives, and remove open-ended Cabinet discretion to guarantee a timely and predictable democratic process."Smith has said Alberta's October referendum is not binding, but this policy could throw a wrench into that plan. Furthermore, if Albertans vote in October in favour of remaining in Canada, what happens in the situation where the UCP party passes a resolution directing the Government of Alberta to make the referendum binding and also pursue independence? To be clear, just because the UCP members vote in favour of a policy does not mean that the UCP government has to abide by it. However, this situation would, once again, leave Smith in a predicament over whether to respect the will of Albertans or her party. .AI Data-centres "Protect Albertans and all lands in Alberta from all centralized control systems namely, Data Centers (AI Surveillance Systems) until there are legislated, proven ethical safeguards, the data center has its own power source (not on electrical grid) and water source, and it has the majority support in the surrounding communities. The Data Center should also have end of life provisions and associated costs for decommissioning collected by governing bodies during the Data Center life cycle."Numerous policy proposals call on the government to require more public engagement by data centre proponents. Alberta's expansion into the AI data centre world has been a major talking point for months, particularly after the government and Meta Platforms announced the company's intention to build a $13 billion project in Sturgeon County.Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish has said the UCP government spent over two years studying and consulting other jurisdictions to develop Alberta's AI data centre strategy. This includes requiring proponents to provide their own power or pay grid infrastructure costs..Byelection when MLAs defect to new caucus"Enact legislation protecting the electoral mandate granted by voters by allowing an MLA who leaves their party to sit as an independent member but requiring them to resign their seat and seek a renewed mandate from voters before joining another party caucus."Elected officials leaving their elected caucus in favour of a different party, also known as floor-crossing, is a hot discussion in Canada, as Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal liberal government have obtained a majority government after five MPs crossed the floor following the 2025 election.Alberta saw its own floor-crossing in 2025 when former UCP cabinet minister Peter Guthrie left the caucus in April and later joined the Alberta Party, now known as the Progressive Tory Party.The above mentioned resolution would allow for MLAs to leave the caucus to which they were elected, but it would prevent them from joining a different caucus without first facing a byelection..Allow MLAs to pass or reject legislation in part "Pass legislation that allows MLAs to ask for a section of any proposed bill to be voted on separately."The Leduc-Beaumont Constituency Association has proposed a resolution calling for the UCP government to pass legislation allowing bills in the assembly to be approved or rejected in parts, rather than a blanket "pass" or "fail." "There are times when a party will put forward a mostly positive piece of legislation that has some parts to it that the citizens would not want to see passed," reads the resolution proposal. It cites an example from the most recent federal budget, which included a section allowing ministers to exempt individuals and businesses from existing laws or regulations, other than the Criminal Code, with few limits. "While citizens may support many parts of Bill C-15 and the proposed budget, many citizens may not want to see the government exempting itself and any other individual or business they so choose from the laws that apply to every other citizen," the resolution reads. "By giving MLAs the ability to ask for sections to be voted on separately, parties will have to stand behind every part of a bill to have it passed, rather than saying they only voted for the bill because of the sections that actually have wide support.".End First Nation land acknowledgments from publicly funded groups"Discontinue the use of land acknowledgements by the Government of Alberta, and all publicly funded institutions, agencies, and entities."First Nations land acknowledgments are scarce at UCP-led functions, but common at events led by other parties. This policy would call on the UCP government to end land acknowledgments by them, as well as by other bodies like municipalities, public universities and other government bodies. "Many Albertans view these statements as performative, politically compelled, and unnecessarily humiliating, particularly when citizens are repeatedly reminded that they are 'guests' or 'settlers' in their own country regardless of how many generations their families have lived, worked, and contributed to Alberta," reads the resolution. "This practice fosters resentment and social division by implying differing levels of belonging or legitimacy among Albertans." .Permanent Mountain Standard Time”Adopt permanent Mountain Standard Time (MST) as the official time zone for the Province of Alberta.” In April, the UCP government decided to adopt year-round Alberta Time (Mountain Daylight Time) and abandon time change. This resolution would call on the government to reconsider its decision to abandon time change, but instead choose to adopt year-round standard time. Smith has said most Albertans support abandoning time change, but there is a passionate debate over whether to adopt permanent standard or daylight time. Her government opted for daylight time, largely because Alberta is already on it for the majority of the year. "Sunlight is the strongest cue for our circadian rhythms," reads the resolution proposal. "Permanent MDT shifts more daylight into the evening, making it harder to fall asleep and potentially reducing total sleep. At the same time, mornings become darker, removing the alerting morning light that helps keep our body clocks properly aligned.""We sleep and wake best when our internal clocks follow the natural cycle of daylight and darkness (melatonin rises as it gets dark). Permanent MDT disrupts this alignment by increasing evening light exposure."The resolution also argues that it would be economically better for Alberta to synchronize clocks with BC, rather than Saskatchewan..Stop funding second and third trimester abortion "Cease public funding for second and third trimester abortions, except when a physician determines that the physical life of the mother is at serious risk and cannot be otherwise protected."This resolution would amend existing UCP policies by adding the second trimester and increasing the restrictions, which previously said, "except in cases where the physical health of the mother is at serious risk." There are no regulations against abortion in Alberta. The government's health care website only says that medication or vacuum aspiration can be performed up to 10 weeks after conception, and surgery is typically the only option after that point. It also says abortions are rarely done after 24 weeks. .Protecting women's privacy"The UCP should adopt policies that protect the safety and privacy of women and girls in schools and public facilities (including washrooms and change areas) and promote consistent application across municipalities and school jurisdictions."This policy proposal would seek to protect the privacy and safety of biological women, specifically in washrooms and changerooms."To enhance safety and privacy for everyone, this could include washrooms and changerooms that are private and separate from the main washrooms and change areas, with single-occupancy lockable stalls, and separate private change areas," wrote the resolution proposer."These washrooms/changerooms should not be part of a gender neutral group of locking stalls within a room.".School board trustees and Catholicism "The United Conservative Party believes the Government of Alberta should ensure that trustees of Catholic separate school divisions are selected in a manner that preserves and enhances appropriate diocesan oversight and alignment with Catholic teachings." The Edmonton-Whitemud Constituency Association is calling for the government to ensure Catholic school board trustees are chosen in a way that provides more church oversight and aligns with Catholic teachings. This policy proposal follows a court case involving former Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee Monique LaGrange, who stepped away from her position in response to a 2023 situation where she meme that paired supporting sexual minority pride with Nazi support. Among other things, LaGrange asserted that the school board erred in disciplining her because she was speaking against things that oppose Catholic values and teachings. The RDCRS said the values were irrelevant in her upholding of the board's code of conduct. .Voting on the above-mentioned resolutions, as well as other policy and governance proposals, will be conducted based on rankings from +4 to -4, with +4 being the highest priority, 0 meaning neutral, and -4 having the lowest priority. UCP members have until Sept. 29 to vote, and the highest-rated resolutions will be debated at the UCP AGM in Calgary from November 27 to 29.
