The United Conservative Party's annual general meeting in Edmonton has concluded with separatist-aligned candidates securing significant but not majority representation on the party's governing board. While the Alberta independence movement failed to achieve its goal of complete control, the election results demonstrate its growing influence within Alberta's governing party.
Board Election Results
During the November 2023 meeting, nine of seventeen voting positions on the UCP board were up for election. Candidates supported by the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project won five positions, while candidates endorsed by remain-in-Canada conservatives secured four seats, including the presidency. According to Calgary Herald columnist Don Braid's analysis, Premier Danielle Smith's loyalists now control eleven of seventeen board seats.
The Separatist Threat
The potential consequences of a separatist-dominated board were substantial. Concerns had mounted that a majority-separatist board might exclude non-separatists from running for office and potentially expel remain-in-Canada MLAs from the party. These fears were substantiated by separatist movement leader Jeffrey Rath's pre-election comments to Juno News, where he stated, "Moving forward, we're going to be the ones selecting MLAs. We're going to be the ones moving the party forward into the next election."
A Watershed Moment
The most dramatic moment occurred when Rath received a standing ovation after rallying the AGM crowd around independence. When Premier Smith responded by advocating for a "united Canada," she was met with boos from the audience. While Smith received warm receptions at other times during the meeting, this confrontation highlighted the deepening divisions within the party and provided potential ammunition for the NDP in the next provincial election.
The Alberta Prosperity Project's independence plan includes establishing a military with an estimated cost of $1-2 billion and transferring Crown land to "sovereign" Indigenous peoples. Despite failing to achieve board dominance, the separatist movement has demonstrated its organizational strength and appears positioned to continue challenging the party's mainstream faction in future internal elections.
