Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.Inside Alberta politics, the UCP AGM was a watershed moment. Declared members of the independence movement secured several seats on the party’s board — not a takeover, but a decisive breakthrough. For the first time, independence voices are not operating as outsiders trying to influence the party from beyond the gates. They are formally embedded in its governance structure, with real authority over how the party organizes, communicates, and prepares for the next election..ZEKVELD: Alberta must limit online gambling advertising .That legitimacy matters. Independence supporters have spent years dismissed as noisy outliers with no institutional pathway to influence. Now, the party’s internal machinery — its nominations process, communications arm, and strategic agenda — can no longer ignore them. The movement has entered the system it once criticized from a distance, and that changes the dynamic entirely.The next phase is where the real work begins, and it must be grounded, strategic, and patient. The battle shifts to riding nominations, where the party’s future MLAs are chosen long before election day. This is the space the establishment has always controlled carefully, and it’s where independence-leaning members need to concentrate their energy. Rural and resource-dependent communities, where federal interference is most acutely felt, offer natural opportunities. Candidates with credibility and strong local ties can secure nominations in these ridings, and once they do, Alberta-first representation inside the legislature becomes more than theoretical..But momentum doesn’t maintain itself. Independence supporters inside the UCP need to coordinate like a true internal caucus, even without calling it one. That means keeping communication tight, sharing priorities, and approaching board decisions collectively rather than as scattered individual actors. Discipline is critical; the establishment’s greatest advantage is the movement’s past fragmentation.Equally important is how the project is framed. Independence can’t come across as a protest fantasy or symbolic rebellion. It needs to be positioned as a practical response to long-standing structural problems — from skewed fiscal arrangements to suffocating federal energy policy. .DUR: Inside Alberta’s abortion blackout — the law that makes truth a crime .When independence is presented as a strategic insurance policy for Alberta’s long-term prosperity, it attracts the large block of conservatives who may not label themselves independence supporters but have grown thoroughly frustrated with Ottawa’s repeated incursions. Those soft supporters are the key to broadening influence inside the party.This is where the playbook becomes essential. The strategy going forward isn’t complicated, but it must be executed with discipline..First, independence supporters need to organize internally so board members, riding activists, and volunteers aren’t working at cross-purposes. A synchronized group, even a small one, can influence debates and decisions far more effectively than a larger uncoordinated crowd.Second, they must actively target winnable nomination battles. Recruiting respected, grounded candidates who reflect the frustrations of their communities is the most direct way to expand the movement’s influence in the legislature..FLETCHER: There’s a political crisis in BC (no, not the Conservatives).Third, the independence argument must be reframed as pragmatic rather than ideological. It must appeal to conservative voters who are fed up with Ottawa but cautious about drastic solutions.Fourth, alliances need to be built with UCP members who support stronger provincial autonomy even if they are not fully committed to independence. These allies widen the movement’s internal reach and give it legitimacy beyond its core.Finally, the groundwork for the next major step — a credible sovereignty debate or referendum — must be laid gradually, through sustained influence rather than dramatic demands. Once independence-aligned MLAs are in caucus, they can push for timelines, policy commitments, and real action..None of this will go unchallenged. The establishment will test procedural moves to restrict independence influence and will warn that Alberta-first voices threaten the party’s unity or electability. But those arguments weaken the moment independence-supported candidates start winning nominations. Once independence-minded MLAs sit in the caucus room, the conversation shifts. Leadership can no longer pretend the movement is marginal when its supporters hold elected seats under the party’s own banner.That’s the longer trajectory. A UCP containing a credible bloc of Alberta-first MLAs would change how the province negotiates with Ottawa and how seriously independence is treated as an option. It would place sovereignty directly on the table, not as a rhetorical flourish but as a viable pathway supported by elected representatives and grassroots members..BARCLAY: The Liberal attack on democracy in Canada.The AGM was not the conclusion of anything. It was the first step in a long campaign of disciplined influence — a sign that the movement can win inside formal structures, not just at rallies or online.If independence-minded conservatives stay focused, coordinated, and grounded in the real frustrations of everyday Albertans, they’ll turn this foothold into something far more consequential.Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.
