EDMONTON — Alberta independence and Premier Danielle Smith's UCP saw noticeable declines in support among Albertans in the first series of polls conducted after Smith announced the referendum question on whether to hold a binding independence vote. Support for Alberta independence tumbled eight percentage points to 21% among the 1,014 respondents to Leger's online poll conducted for Postmedia from May 29 to June 1. Conversely, federalist support rose by 9 percentage points since Leger's prior poll in April, increasing to 73%. Independence support was even lower among the 600 Alberta respondents to an online Ipsos poll conducted for Global News between May 28 and June 1, coming in at 18%, while remaining in Canada had 72% support. Both polls were conducted after Smith’s May 21 announcement that a question on the October referendum ballot will ask Albertans whether they want Alberta to remain in Canada or for the government to begin the legal process towards holding a binding independence referendum. .The polls showed that respondents had slightly more support for the pro-independence side in Smith's referendum than a binding stay or leave vote, with Leger reporting 24% and Ipsos reporting 19%. "I can tell you that what had me very worried after the Liberals won again last April was that number was as high as 42% so the fact that it's now down to 24% shows that the work that I'm doing and the work that the Prime Minister is doing is working to give people hope again in the country," said Smith during a press conference on Friday. "And that's what we have to do when you see people who are upset or hurt, who are angry, who have given up. You don't ridicule, you ridicule them. You say, 'What is the issue that is causing you to feel that way?' and then you address it. And that's what I've been doing, is working to address it, and it appears to be working."Independence support remains the strongest in rural Alberta, according to Leger's poll. Thirty-five percent of respondents from those areas said they would vote for a binding referendum. Edmontonian respondents were less open to the idea of a binding referendum, with 15% of respondents saying they would vote in favour of pursuing one. Members of Smith's party are split over the October referendum, with 48% of respondents saying they would vote for a binding independence referendum, and 44% saying they will join their leader and vote to remain in Canada. .Individuals on both sides of the Alberta independence movement have expressed frustration with Smith's referendum question, with federalists saying she is pandering to independence supporters, while some nationalists have claimed Smith betrayed them by not calling a direct, binding vote. The Leger poll reflected those sentiments, showing increased frustration with Smith and the UCP compared to prior polls. Support for Smith's party dipped by 4 percentage points to 49%, while the Alberta NDP capitalized on the opposition's decline, with party support bumping to 40%.Respondents also expressed significant disapproval of how Smith has handled the independence debate, with 53% opposing her actions and 33% approving.
