EDMONTON — Highwood MLA and Minister of Affordability and Utilities RJ Sigurdson pledged his support to Premier Danielle Smith on Friday, in response to his local UCP constituency association passing a motion calling for the Premier to face a leadership review. "Let me be clear that Premier Danielle Smith has, and will continue to have, my full support," wrote Sigurdson in a statement sent to the Western Standard on Friday. His statement comes after sources familiar with the situation confirmed to the Western Standard that the Highwood UCP Constituency Association passed a motion on Thursday in favour of the party holding a leadership review of Smith. Alberta independence advocate and Smith critic Jeffrey Rath said the board passed the motion 14-4. The Western Standard has not confirmed this. "I firmly believe that the decision of the Highwood Constituency Association does not reflect the views of my constituents broadly," Sigurdson wrote. The Western Standard has reached out to the Highwood Constituency Association president, the UCP, and Smith's office for comment. .Highwood's constituency association board cannot trigger a leadership review on its own. The UCP's by-laws require 1/4 of the party's constituency association boards to pass a motion calling for a leadership review to trigger one. The UCP's governance manual and by-laws require the party's leader to face a review at their Annual General Meeting every three years. The party may also call for one at a special general meeting if 2/3 of the party's board pass a motion. Smith last faced a leadership review at the UCP's AGM in 2024, which she passed with 91.5% support. Thursday's decision by the Highwood board comes after the UCP lost the Calgary-Shaw byelection to Alberta NDP candidate Mike Derry. Marking only the second time in 12 elections where conservative candidate has not won Calgary-Shaw. Smith's approval rating fell to a tenure low of 38% in September, according to an Angus Reid Institute poll released on Tuesday. The drop comes as Albertans express frustration with how Smith has handled the Alberta independence debate. Despite the speculation, polling conducted by Abacus Data between Sept. 4 and 7 showed Smith and the UCP with 52% support, compared to 39% for the Alberta NDP.."The move was precipitated by Smith’s refusal to condemn Carney wanting to open the floodgates of visa free immigration into Alberta by unvetted 3rd world 'European' migrant workers from the EU," Rath wrote on Friday.He said the UCP is using "$4 million tax dollars" to fight against Alberta independence and that his accusations that one of Smith's staffers attempted to bribe him and Mitch Sylvestre with $6 million were "further inflammatory factors." The Western Standard has not confirmed these claims either.Rath claimed on Wednesday that he and Sylvestre previously met with media executive Matthew Altheim, who offered them a combined $6 million in funds and contracts if they would stop criticizing Smith and Sylvestre stopped advocating for Alberta independence. Altheim does not work for Smith or her team. Both Altheim and Smith's office have said the allegations are "fabricated and false."
