Political analyst Lorne Gunter has issued a stark warning to Alberta's United Conservative Party (UCP) government, advising it to avoid reopening contentious policy debates that could jeopardize its popularity ahead of future elections.
Panel Recommendations Revive Old Debates
The advice follows the release of recommendations on December 23, 2025, from the Alberta Next panel. The panel, chaired by Premier Danielle Smith, held town hall meetings in ten communities during the summer and fall of 2025 to discuss the province's future.
The core of the panel's seven recommendations centers on holding province-wide referendums. The key proposals include votes on establishing an Alberta pension plan to replace the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), another on the nature of provincial immigration, and at least one on replacing the RCMP with a provincial police service.
Unpopular Ideas Previously Shelved
Gunter points out that at least two of these ideas—the Alberta pension plan and a provincial police force—were met with significant public opposition when the UCP first floated them in recent years. Provincial polling indicated that upwards of two-thirds of Albertans opposed these initiatives.
Consequently, the Smith government had allowed these proposals to fade from the spotlight, a move that helped stabilize the party's popularity. The ideas had also lost momentum among the UCP's core supporters. The Alberta Next report now threatens to resurrect these deeply divisive issues just as they appeared settled.
A Recipe for Political Risk
The analyst argues that by championing these referendums, the UCP is asking questions it may not want answered. While town hall attendees may have shown stronger support for the pension and police ideas, the broader Alberta public has not. Forcing province-wide votes would ignite divisive debates, with the UCP closely tied to the pro-change side.
Gunter concludes that for the governing party, running the risk of losing an election by taking unpopular stands in unnecessary referendums is a pointless political gamble. The recommendations, he suggests, exemplify the old political adages: don't pick at scabs that have healed, and don't start fights you can't win.
