Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney's call to remove independence supporters from the United Conservative Party (UCP) has sparked an angry response from Western Standard readers, with many accusing him of betraying the conservative movement he helped unite.Kenney, who appeared alongside former NDP premier Rachel Notley at an Edmonton Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday, argued that the UCP must return to its federalist roots after Alberta's October 19 referendum.“There’s no doubt that those folks have infiltrated (the party),” Kenney said. “They’re welcome to participate in democracy, but if their primary goal is separation, then they have to do it in a separatist party.”Among Western Standard readers responding to his remarks, the message was overwhelmingly hostile toward Kenney himself.For many, the controversy was about more than Alberta independence. It raised questions about who belongs in the conservative movement, who gets to define its principles, and whether an attempt to purge independence supporters could fracture the governing party.“Jason Kenney is the one who should be ejected from the UCP,” wrote Donna Douglas of Calgary. “He was a disaster as a leader of the party, and Albertans successfully voted him out of power. He no longer has a voice in governing Alberta. Albertans are disinterested in Jason Kenney and his outdated and unreasonable opinions. Let us go forward, not backward.”.Rose Anne Hutchence of Calgary was equally direct."Can we eject Kenney from the province? Permanently?" she asked.Ursula Da Rugna of Foothills County suggested Kenney's proposed approach could produce the very outcome conservatives most want to avoid.“By saying this and really wanting this, Jason Kenney would be singlehandedly responsible for vote splitting and the NDP creating the next Alberta government,” she wrote.Chad Eden of Bellevue had this to add: “Calling people traitors for wanting their country restored while Ottawa systematically dismantles it is itself a far greater act of betrayal than Albertans simply demanding equal representation and an end to being treated as a permanent cash cow for the rest of Confederation.”For others, Kenney's decision to campaign alongside Notley was especially difficult to accept..The two former premiers, who faced each other as political opponents in the 2019 provincial election, are now co-chairing a Canadian Chamber of Commerce campaign opposing Alberta's independence from Canada.Gilbert Willson of Bezanson questioned what the partnership said about Kenney's conservative credentials."The fact that he is campaigning with Rachel Notley should say everything that needs to be said about how conservative he really is," Willson wrote.William Hall of Dapp went further, suggesting Kenney's own UCP membership should be revoked for working alongside Notley and the NDP.Not every reader dismissed Kenney's right to oppose independence.Robert Murray of Edmonton acknowledged that the former premier was entitled to express his federalist views but questioned both the timing of his intervention and his choice of political allies.."Kenney is obviously a federalist, so he's entitled to express his opinion just like every other Albertan," Murray wrote. "I think his comment about ousting separatists from UCP would be more appropriate after the vote."Murray argued Kenney could make the case for Confederation without joining forces with the NDP and Liberals, adding that his credibility as a conservative had suffered."It's too bad, I used to respect Kenney, but he no longer represents my views," he said.The warnings reflect a broader concern expressed by several readers that ideological divisions within Alberta's conservative movement could weaken the governing party and open the door to an NDP victory.Ellie Cox of Calgary, who supports Alberta independence, offered one of the most detailed responses.Cox expressed frustration with both former premiers and warned that continued infighting could undermine the independence movement and the UCP alike."I am very concerned about the tension between those that want to stay underneath the rule of Ottawa and those that want to leave; the tension with the UCP party," she wrote, warning that growing confusion and division could ultimately return the NDP to power..Despite supporting independence, Cox urged independence supporters and federalist conservatives to preserve enough common ground to prevent a change in government."I do support the movement to leave Canada, but in the meantime we need to support the current UCP government. Because if we don't, we get Nenshi. Then I want to move."Stephen Doyle of Calgary offered a similar criticism, arguing that Kenney's experience as both a federal cabinet minister and Alberta premier should have positioned him to make a substantive case for remaining in Canada."I find it shocking that a former Federal Cabinet Minister and Alberta Premier can only mock and denigrate Alberta Independence advocates, rather than making a reasoned case for Alberta to remain in Confederation," Doyle wrote.Doyle described Alberta independence as one of the most consequential questions facing the province and argued that Kenney had missed an opportunity to contribute constructively to the debate.Some readers believe the independence movement represents a legitimate response to longstanding grievances with Ottawa. Others are less concerned with the constitutional question itself than with the potential consequences of removing a substantial faction of conservative voters from the UCP..And several appear to regard Kenney's alliance with Notley as evidence of a widening divide between the conservative establishment and the grassroots movement that helped build the governing party.The comments are a selection of reader reactions, not a scientific measure of public opinion or the views of the UCP membership.Nevertheless, they demonstrate the intensity of opposition Kenney's intervention has generated among some Western Standard readers ahead of Monday's referendum.For those readers, the question is no longer simply whether Alberta should remain in Canada.It is also whether the UCP can continue accommodating Albertans on both sides of the independence debate — or whether an attempt to impose a single position on Confederation could fracture the coalition that brought it to power.
