Jeffrey R.W. Rath is a constitutional lawyer who represents the interests of citizens and communities whose rights are infringed by government.
The Danielle Smith Empire is striking back. The word is out. Danielle Smith's Deathstar Team is abusing its access to party membership lists. It is desperately calling members who it believes will support Danielle Smith's anti-democratic views on the UCP AGM 2025 by offering to pay their way to the AGM (out of what funds we ask) if they support Danielle's slate of directors and purge the party board of anyone supporting independence for Alberta. Complaints by offended members of the party are being prepared and are soon to follow.
All of this foolishness started at a recent (not so) United Conservative Party Provincial Board Meeting. Danielle Smith put forward an anti-democratic motion to muzzle the 70% of UCP members who strongly support Alberta independence. The motion split the board right down the middle, leaving Rob Smith to cast the deciding vote. Shocking all the people (including myself) that voted for Rob Smith to replace Cynthia Moore, an establishment toady of the first order, Rob turned his back on the people that elected him UCP Party President and cast his tie vote to have Premier Smith bully her base into silent submission.
As a result, the majority of UCP members that voted for Rob Smith as President will now be voting for Darrell Komick as UCP President. Darrell is needed as president at this time because 70% of the UCP base will not tolerate a president that sides with bullying by the Premier of the very people that elected her leader. Darrell has pledged to launch a "rescue mission for party unity." This means respecting the wishes of a super-majority of the membership in favour of independence while accommodating the concerns of members of the party who have not yet embraced how much better off Alberta will be outside of Canada.
Albertans need a party president who can stand up to a Premier who refuses to respect the rights and freedom of the people who chose her to lead the party. Had Rob stood up to Premier Smith as opposed to curling up at her feet, Darrell Komick would not be running for president and Rob Smith would have been acclaimed to another term as president.
The point of Premier Smith's motion was to prohibit any discussion of Alberta Independence at the upcoming AGM. She is using her power and influence as Premier to bully 70% of her base into shutting up and doing what they are told. It's like she believes that she is everybody’s mother and can tell us what we can and can't discuss at Sunday dinner. She obviously cares more about Nenshi and the NDP accusing her of leading a pro-independence party (which she is) than she does in respecting the rights of her base to free speech, debate, and the democratic will of her base.
Had she simply allowed the debate, her base would have felt respected and heard. Albertans could have finally heard from either Danielle or her designated master-debater what the real and tangible financial benefits are to Alberta staying in Canada. Danielle Smith has been hand-delivered a copy of the AlbertaProsperityProject.com "VALUE OF FREEDOM Fully Costed Fiscal Plan for an Independent Alberta.” This document demonstrates that when Alberta is independent from Ottawa, we will have a $30 to $50 billion a year fiscal capacity surplus AFTER funding all federal services and liabilities, including pensions, old age security, EI, armed forces, First Nations, immigration and deportation, and all other federal services and transfers. A free and independent Alberta would be able to eliminate federal income taxes while maintaining and improving existing programs and services, including healthcare.
A failure by Premier Smith's government to immediately name a Minister of Independence Preparedness and to embrace the economic plan laid out in the VALUE of FREEDOM violates the basic fiduciary principle of a prudent person of business managing their own affairs. In other words, Premier Smith and her government, in failing to plan for independence, are violating their fiduciary obligations to the Albertans who elected them. A failure to plan is deliberately planning to fail.
All of this comes at a time when Premier Smith has been burning political capital like a drunk lighting cigarettes with hundred-dollar bills. Her attempts at portraying herself as a member of "Team Canada," complete with dressing up like a Canadian Flag in her red blazer over a white blouse costume, have completely failed, as she was told it would by every Albertan with a lick of common sense. Every time she supported "Team Canada," she was embarrassed by her "teammates" cross-checking her in the face or slashing her ankles with all of their "there will be a pipeline through MY province, over my dead body" obstreperousness.
If Premier Smith cared about democracy, she would call for a free vote at the UCP AGM and ask her party members to vote on the question: DO YOU AGREE THAT ALBERTA SHOULD CEASE TO BE A PROVINCE OF CANADA AND BECOME AN INDEPENDENT STATE?
Unfortunately, that level of bold leadership is sorely lacking.
Jeffrey R.W. Rath is a constitutional lawyer who represents the interests of citizens and communities whose rights are infringed by government.
