EDMONTON — UCP MLA Jason Stephan stepped down from his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Constitutional Affairs in April, shortly after he wrote an opinion column for the Western Standard, in which he called on Albertans to sign the petition. News circulated on Tuesday that Stephan, the MLA for Red Deer-South, had quietly resigned from his position in the justice ministry in April, reportedly 12 days after he penned a pro-Stay Free Alberta petition column. "The MLA for Red Deer–South is valued member of our UCP caucus," reads a statement from Sam Blackett, Smith's Press Secretary, issued on Tuesday. "He chose to resign earlier this year from his role as Parliamentary Secretary but made it clear he is very supportive of the work of our government.”The Parliamentary Secretary for Constitutional Affairs largely focuses on identifying constitutional threats, advocating for constitutional reforms, and monitoring federal legislation. The Western Standard has reached out to Stephan for comments. .Smith and much of her caucus attempted to stay neutral during the petition process and said they wanted to let the signature collection and verification steps play out."There are serious concerns, which are articulated in the article, with the status quo," said Stephan in an interview with the Western Standard on March 27. "So I really the I love the citizen initiative act, and I love Albertans having a say, because the status quo is absolutely unacceptable, and if Albertans don't sign the petition, there will be no vote."Stephan said there are many issues in Canada, including bad policies stemming from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, adding that some are fixable and others are beyond repair. "There are just some very troubling things, and you know, I hope for the good of families and individuals who live in Canada that there isn't any more stupid and destructive policies and laws that come out of Ottawa," Stephan said. "But, unfortunately, we continue to see that, even today.""You know, I appreciate there's some positive things that have happened, but yet, we see other stupid things that are happening.".Stephan's letter was not an open declaration of support for Alberta's independence, but it made headlines as the first public sign that a UCP caucus member might be straying from their "sovereign Alberta, within a united Canada" mantra."Today, Premier Smith’s hand-picked Parliamentary Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, MLA Jason Stephan, confirmed he is a separatist in an opinion piece he wrote for a right-wing media outlet," wrote Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Rakhi Pancholi in a statement on March 27. "He ignored all the concerns raised by Alberta businesses that even the prospect of a separatism referendum is freezing investment and negatively affecting our economy. He encourages voters to sign the separatist referendum petition and demand a referendum." Smith soon clarified that her caucus's position on Alberta independence remained, "a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada," but individuals are allowed to have their own opinions. "So one voice in our caucus has a different perspective, and we are a caucus that allows for diversity of opinions," said Smith on March 28. "But I can tell you, our caucus and our government supports my view that we are in support of Alberta's sovereignty within the united Canada."
