EDMONTON — Independent MLA Scott Sinclair offered an apology to Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP caucus on Wednesday for his actions after exiting the party, as he appears to mend fences with his former party members. "Mr. Speaker, there are moments in this role I'm not proud of, in particular, some of the things I said about former colleagues and teammates in government," said Sinclair during session on Wednesday. "Holding government to account is a fundamental part of our system, but I was not elected as a member of the opposition. I was elected as a member of the United Conservative Party, a team I was proud to be a part of, and one that the people of lesser Slave Lake supported." .Sinclair, the MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, was exiled from the UCP caucus in March, 2025 after he vocally criticized and refused to vote in favour of Budget 2025 because he believed it unfairly funnelled money from Northern Alberta and spent it in Calgary and Edmonton."I find most of it, at best, disappointing and, at worst, unacceptable for Albertans," Sinclair wrote in a Facebook in 2025."I don’t know who it’s meant to serve, but it certainly isn’t for me, my family, my friends, or my constituents. In fact, I’m furious at the amount of money being funnelled into Edmonton and Calgary — as usual — while northern Alberta and our riding are largely ignored.".Sinclair did not join a political party after being punted from the UCP, rather he chose to remain independent because it allowed him to fight for his constituents rather than staying in line with his caucus."What I failed to recognize a year ago is that this government is making record investments in Northern Alberta," Sinclair said on Wednesday."This government has provided critical funding for Highway 88, a brand new corridor with Highway 686, and for the protection of communities from forest fires in Lesser Slave Lake and all over the North for years to come."Individuals have speculated over whether Sinclair was quietly striding back to the UCP over recent months after he voted with the government in favour of Budget 2026 and their heavily debated motion to partially accept the Electoral Boundaries Review Commision's majority maps with amendments."Hockey was my whole life growing up, and sometimes emotions run high and things get passionate, but no individual performance, regardless of passion and emotion, wins championships or experiences success like a strong team does," Sinclair said."I understand that for us to serve our constituents and best serve our province, we need to work and win as a team.".Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi was critical of the UCP following Sinclair's statement. "I'm surprised he didn't walk across the floor at the end of that statement," said Nenshi to reporters. "This is how they this is how the government treats people. They have humiliated that guy. They made him go through his paces.""They forced him to show up for every vote so he can show he votes with the government, and he's loyal. They've handed him questions to ask in question period that say, 'Our government' and 'Us as the UCP government,' and they made him give that grovelling apology to the Premier today so that he can come back.".Sinclair did not walk back to the UCP side of the floor on Wednesday, but he said he wants to work to rebuild what was broken when he went against Budget 2025 and was subsequently ejected from the caucus."My focus now is where it should have always been, building relationships, working constructively, and finding common ground to deliver real results for my riding," Sinclair said."Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with this government and supporting this premier as we continue to make progress for Lesser Slave Lake, the North and for all Albertans."
