EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith spoke Friday bluntly to UCP constituency association presidents unwilling to sign a declaration confirming their intent to respect the results of Alberta's independence referendum, telling them the party must show Albertans it is willing to respect their mandate."I know people are feeling still emotional," said Smith during a press conference on Friday. "I understand that, and I've had a very light touch on these kinds of things in the past.""However, it is absolutely imperative that anyone who wants to represent the UCP has to want us to win the next election. That's kind of the reason you get involved in a political party.".Smith's comments come after 15 UCP constituency association presidents sent a letter to the party on Wednesday, informing the provincial board that they would not sign the updated code of conduct requiring them to commit to recognizing, respecting, and abiding by the results of October's referendum.The presidents denied that the provincial board had the authority to require such a commitment from a sitting president, arguing that it targets one political perspective and restricts their freedom of expression.Individuals seeking provincial leadership positions within the UCP at the upcoming annual general meeting have already signed a similar pledge, while 2027 general election candidates have made a similar commitment."I think people need to understand that this is really about what political parties are for," Smith said. "Political parties are designed to win elections, and you have to have a team approach when you're talking about speaking for the party.""This isn't about free speech or reducing free speech. Any member is allowed to think or say whatever they want. However, if they are in a spokesperson role for our party, then the job is to make sure that they're reflecting the policies and principles of our party, and our party accepts the result of the October 19th referendum.".Smith's messaging is not new, as the premier delivered a similar message on October 21, two days after 75% of Albertans voted in favour of Alberta remaining in Canada.She has maintained that individual UCP members can hold different views, but the party's leaders must present a unified message to Albertans."You have to want the party that you're representing and speaking for to win, and if we're going to win, we have to show that when the electorate speaks in such a resounding way as they did on October 19th, that we're going to respect the judgment of the people," Smith said. "That's what referendums are all about.".Albertans saw the effects of a divided conservative vote in 2015, when the Wildrose Party and Progressive Conservative Party split the vote, arguably paving the way for an Alberta NDP election victory.The premier has invoked that experience in the weeks following the referendum, cautioning party members about the danger of turning the upcoming election into another de facto Alberta independence vote while also warning about what could happen if nationalists abandon the UCP."So I will persuade as I always try to do, and I hope that with that persuasion, we'll be able to have many more presidents feel comfortable with that decision," Smith said.
