UCP Board President Rob Smith slammed Jeff Rath over his claims that UCP constituency associations may call for a leadership review, in a statement issued on Tuesday. “I have been in touch with all 87 CA Presidents multiple times in the past 24 hours,” wrote Rob Smith. “Not a single one has asked or talked about a letter requesting an SGM (Special General Meeting)."“Not. A. Single. One.”Smith’s comments follow Monday's Western Standard article, which referenced an interview that Rath, a leader behind the Alberta independence movement, conducted over the weekend. In the interview, he claimed that UCP constituency presidents may call for a leadership review of Premier Danielle Smith.“And I mean, I like, I have Constituency Association Presidents, UCP Constituency Association Presidents, calling me and saying that if Danielle does not fix this problem that I'm about to tell you guys about, that they're going to be demanding a leadership review,” said Rath in a YouTube interview with Jon Bolton. .According to the UCP governance manual, “An SGM may be called by the Board for a specified purpose at any time and shall be called without delay upon the written request of one-quarter (1/4) of the Constituency Associations as evidenced by identical motions passed at meetings of the requisite number of Constituency Association boards.” Rob Smith states that although an SGM and leadership review could theoretically be called, he has received no indication that this aligns with what the constituency associations want. “To date, however, regardless Mr. Rath’s seeming urgency with this matter, I have received such a request from exactly ZERO constituency associations,” Rob Smith wrote. .Rath is entitled to his opinion, Rob Smith believes, just like every other party member. “What they cannot do, however, is openly pledge disloyalty to our party. They cannot say anything about voting for another party or individual than our UCP,” Rob Smith wrote.“Mr. Rath is being critical of our leader; that is his right. He did it at our AGM… to applause from members who both agree with him and, more commonly, in my opinion, hold a very negative perception of the historical relationship between the federal Liberal government and Alberta.” He was, however, critical of Rath, saying he is merely a party member and does not hold a leadership position. “Mr. Rath is a member. A member. ONE. One of tens-of-thousands. He holds no position. He is not one of our dedicated UCP volunteers,” Rob Smith wrote. “So I find it amusing that Mr. Rath feels comfortable speaking on behalf of Alberta’s 87 UCP constituency association presidents. In fact, I’ll bet he doesn’t even know a quarter of their names!”.Although Rath does not hold a leadership position, Smith acknowledges that he knows two association presidents. “He knows Mitch Sylvestre, of course. And Darrell Komick; they are definitely buddies," Rob Smith wrote. “… But these two constituency association Presidents also DO NOT SPEAK for any additional presidents. They may hold some influence, but only over a very few.”Rob Smith claims that Rath and his “buddies” are big fans of the Oxford Word of the Year for 2025, “rage bait.” Oxford defines the term as, “Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account.”“Jeff Rath. Rage Bait. Word of the Year,” Rob Smith wrote. .The UCP president defended the part of Bill 14 that formally amends who from a party is responsible for filling a candidate with Elections Alberta, but he admitted that some constituency associations have expressed concern. “This is, however, purely an administrative change to bring the Act ‘up-to-speed’ with modern practice,” Rob Smith wrote. “It has been the responsibility of the UCP to file the candidacy of all 87 of our candidates in both elections we have challenged: 2019 and 2023. This has NEVER been the authority of a UCP constituency association.”“And the administrative change is to add an “authority” for whom is responsible for this filing, which will, per the proposed legislation, now be the party leader… or their designate.""This makes perfect sense to me, and to most of the constituency association presidents I’ve been communicating with.”Premier Danielle's Smith’s office defended Bill 14 in a statement written for the Western Standard.“This legislative change does not change the party candidate selection process,” wrote the premier’s press secretary, Sam Blackett. “Under Bill 14, the internal nomination process and the vetting of candidates remain subject to the rules of individual parties, just as they do now.”.The Premier’s office stated that they feel that they have support of UCP members. “Just last year, UCP members overwhelmingly voted in support of the Premier’s leadership, with 91.5 per cent support,” Blackett wrote.“The Premier has been given a clear mandate from Albertans and from her membership to lead this province and this party. Our United Conservative Caucus remains focused on what we were elected to do, which is standing up.”Rob Smith is adamant that UCP stand with Premier Smith.“Regardless of concern over Section 9.3 of Bill 14… Regardless of 'boos' at our AGM… Regardless their personal feelings regarding Alberta independence… The membership of the United Conservative Party of Alberta is fully behind their leader, Danielle Smith,” Rob Smith wrote. Rath is a leading proponent of the Alberta independence movement, and after Monday’s Western Standard article about his claims was posted on X, other movement supporters criticized him, saying he was doing nothing but harm to the movement. .As an Albertan, not as the UCP Board President, Rob Smith offered Rath advice. “Rage Bait will NOT win Albertans over to the independence ‘side’ of a referendum question,” Rob Smith wrote. “If that is the tactic proponents of independence want to use, an independence referendum will fail and fail miserably.”“It’s too close to the tactic used by the federal Liberal government against us for such a long time and pronounced over the last ten years.”According to Rob Smith, Rath’s comments in the media and on social media are not going to lead to an independent Alberta. “You wanna lose this referendum vote, Mr. Rath?” he wrote. “Rage on. Rage on.”
