Postmedia reached out to all 47 United Conservative Party (UCP) MLAs in Alberta to ask how they will vote in the upcoming fall referendum. The responses revealed a clear divide: every cabinet minister individually backed Premier Danielle Smith's support for the pro-Canada side, while backbench MLAs declined to state their positions publicly, instead deferring to a statement from the party's caucus.
Referendum Details
The Oct. 19 referendum will include 10 questions, one of which asks: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"
Cabinet Ministers Respond
Postmedia emailed the offices of 26 cabinet ministers and 21 backbench MLAs. All cabinet ministers responded with a variant of the same statement, asserting that "700,000 Albertans have signed one of two petitions requesting a referendum on this issue." The majority of those signatures—over 400,000 verified—come from the "Forever Canadian" petition, while the remaining roughly 300,000 are from Stay Free Alberta's separation petition, though those have not been verified.
Four cabinet ministers provided unique replies. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said: "I love my province, I love my country, and I love my home. I am both a proud Albertan and Canadian. Albertans' frustrations are real and I share them. This is our country too, and Albertans should be at the table shaping our future, not leaving it to the elites who spent the last decade trying to remake Canada without us."
Backbench MLAs Silent
No backbench MLAs responded to multiple requests sent to their constituency offices. Instead, the UCP caucus issued a statement from chief government whip Brandon Lunty saying it supports "a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada." The statement added: "This is a decision for Albertans. We recognize that Albertans' frustrations have been fuelled by the last 10 years of disastrous policies from Ottawa under Justin Trudeau. But the tide is finally turning. The vast majority of Trudeau's 'nine bad laws' have been scrapped or reformed. Investment has begun flowing back into the province. Now is not the time to give up hope. Now is the time to double down and help Canada reach its incredible potential. With Alberta leading the way, we can turn Canada into one of the most strong and prosperous economies in the world."
Premier's Position
On Wednesday, Smith said in a radio interview that the UCP's official position is for the province to remain with Canada. "Our party had as its founding principles that we support autonomy for Alberta within a united Canada." The party's president had earlier told media it would not pick a side, but later issued a statement after Smith's interview saying it has always supported Alberta remaining in Canada.
