EDMONTON — Former UCP MLA Shane Getson says Premier Danielle Smith's UCP caucus members have differing opinions at times but remain united, dispelling rumours of a rift within the governing team."Yeah, we got some different opinions," said Getson during an interview with the Western Standard. "Yeah, we're going to kick some stall doors. I don't think our constituents would expect anything different, but we do that inside the boardroom, inside the caucus table."The UCP has proudly branded itself as a "big tent" party since its formation in 2017, when Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party and Wildrose Party merged to form a conservative coalition.Conservatives in Alberta united primarily to avoid another Alberta NDP government, but critics and political pundits occasionally question whether the "big tent" is as united as it claims to be.Getson, who spent more than seven years in the UCP caucus before resigning as Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland's MLA on October 26, says the government team has differing views on various issues but no divide, partly due to Smith's leadership style."No idea is a bad idea, in her books," Getson said. "You know, she'll take and listen and run with things, and we'll test it internally.".Alberta's independence debate has been identified as a potential source of division within the caucus, particularly given the differing opinions on the movement among conservative voters."I mean, depending on who stepped out there was whether we, as MLAs at the time, chose to try to influence what our constituents were, and my tract was, I'm an expansionist," Getson said."Everything I talked about was about expanding the country, making things work better, doing all that. And regardless of what I said, the opposition members still call you one thing or the other."Smith has consistently maintained that the UCP government and caucus support a "sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.".According to Getson, every government policy in Smith's caucus goes through a gauntlet within the UCP before being tabled in the legislature.The process begins with a policy being presented to one of four regional caucus committees made up of both private members and ministers. It then moves to the cabinet table, followed by a full caucus discussion with all members participating, before proceeding to the legislature."It's the dragon's den," Getson said. "We're conservatives. We're harder on each other than probably anybody else. But the intent in that room and the way that management style was, you get it out on the table, and you allow people to speak and you get your full say.".Each MLA has a responsibility to represent the will of their constituents. However, that's sometimes easier said than done, especially when factoring in caucus positions, party policies and each individual's duty to responsible government.Getson said finding that balance is something every MLA faces."You're looking at as much information to get the best information you can, so when you're standing up there with one hand on heart and the other on the Bible, and you're speaking for 50,000 people, that you're not going to set them up for a minefield or a disaster," Getson said."So you need to balance all of that, and that's how it works. And then typically in the four years, if you've done that consistently, you get rewarded with another term. And I was successful in doing that twice."
