EDMONTON — UCP President Rob Smith says the party will not ban members from supporting Alberta independence, but they are expected to accept Alberta's referendum results and focus on supporting Premier Danielle Smith and other candidates ahead of the 2027 election. "Regardless the discriminatory musings of any fellow member of our party, be they a former Premier or not, this I guarantee you: Your opinion about federalism vs. independence and how you vote on Referendum Question #10 - whether Option #1 or Option #2 - will NEVER have an impact on your eligibility to remain or join the United Conservative Party," wrote Rob Smith in a Facebook post on Wednesday. .The post follows former Premier and UCP leader Jason Kenney, who said on Wednesday that the "tail is wagging the dog" within the UCP over Alberta independence. He claimed the UCP either needs to become an official nationalist party, or eject those whose primary goal is Alberta independence. "This is not an issue of which you can be half pregnant," said Kenney "You're either for Canada, national unity, or you're not. And if you're not, you're still a citizen. You're welcome to be involved in democracy. Go and do that in a separate party."Kenney's comments stirred conservatives, as polls suggest a split stance on Alberta independence among UCP members, and people theorized about the political earthquake a disbanded UCP party could trigger ahead of Alberta's October 2027 election. .UCP rules give the Executive Director authority to suspend or revoke any member's membership "for Cause," subject to a subsequent Code of Conduct Committee review. The party describes cause as, "unethical conduct, proven engagement in activities or groups that promote hatred or violence, or any other act or omission that causes harm to the Party or a Member or brings the Party into disrepute and shall not include reasonable adversarial debate or respectful disagreement on issues." Rob Smith said that, as long as he is president, no one will be banned or disqualified for failing to pledge support for federalism or nationalism, but later added that he expects members to accept, respect, and abide by Alberta's referendum results, regardless of whether they are their desired outcome. "If it’s Option #2, we have some work that will begin in both the short and long term, as a party and as a province," Rob Smith wrote. "If it’s Option #1, we WILL put independence sentiment “on the shelf”, unite within our party membership to focus on the successes and progress of our UCP Caucus, Government, and leader, Premier Danielle Smith, and work TOGETHER to win the 32nd Alberta General Election on Monday, October 18th, 2027 with a bigger majority than we currently have.".The UCP party was formed following the 2015 Alberta election, when the Alberta NDP won a majority government, due in large part to a split vote between Alberta's two conservative parties, the Progressive Conservative Party and Wildrose Party. Rumblings of an uprising within the UCP over Danielle Smith's decision to campaign against Alberta independence have already begun at the party's local levels, as three constituency associations have passed motions calling for a Special General Meeting where Smith would face a leadership review.The Calgary-Currie UCP Constituency Association reportedly became the latest association to call for a review after its board passed a 13-7 motion on Wednesday, with two abstaining. The Western Standard has not confirmed this vote. Conversely, roughly 30 constituency associations have passed motions supporting Danielle Smith and opposing a leadership review, according to the UCP party. UCP bylaws dictate that the party's leader face a tri-annual leadership review, but constituency associations can trigger an early one if 22 association boards pass a motion calling for it. Danielle Smith passed her last leadership review in 2024 with 91%. .Some theorize that splitting the UCP along Alberta-independence lines could produce a similar outcome, and Rob Smith said, "We cannot repeat it." "Our members’ independence sentiment and passion will not disappear on October 20th, regardless what its final percentage support is across the province if it’s less than 50%," Rob Smith wrote. "And your UCP isn’t expecting it will. But it CAN NOT be our priority between October 20th, 2026 and October 18, 2027.""I know our membership are intelligent AND pragmatic. You think and worry about our future… and that of our next generations. And I hope you agree with me."
