History shows that most times voters don't eject conservative premiers - the party does. This reality is now playing out in Alberta as Premier Danielle Smith's quiet battle against a separatist takeover of the United Conservative Party (UCP) heats up.
The Separatist Threat
If separatists take control, the UCP is cooked. Premier Smith's forces are quietly acting against UCP rebels who want to kick her out of office, well aware of the threat. This is happening in battles for riding nominations as well as party board elections at the UCP convention scheduled for November 27 to 29.
Smith simply cannot allow her party to be taken over by separatists who reject her key policy: Sovereignty within a United Canada. If separatist leaders such as Jeffrey Rath and Mitch Sylvestre get to hand-pick her MLAs and board members, that would spell the end for the party Jason Kenney built.
Separatist Strategy
These leaders urge separatists to join the UCP en masse and force a leadership vote at the annual convention in Calgary. They want riding associations - at least 22 - to approve a demand for a special meeting. They are also pushing for nomination of separatists in ridings, hoping to win a UCP caucus majority in the October 2027 general election. Their plan is a putsch that would give separatists control of the Alberta government.
Historical Context
Recent history must be constantly on Smith's mind. Premier Jason Kenney was forced out by a party membership vote on May 18, 2022 - that's how Smith got the job on the sixth ballot. An earlier PC premier, Alison Redford, quit cold on March 18, 2014, after a series of scandals turned the party board against her. It's an Alberta conservative thing going all the way back to Don Getty in the early 1990s. With the sole exception of Jim Prentice in 2015, the voters don't eject conservative premiers; the party does, one way or another.
Smith's Response
Smith's public response to the separatists never varies. She opposes their views but understands the grievances and will not insult them. This lesson she learned from Kenney, who enraged even party moderates by calling his adversaries extremists and lunatics. But no matter how forgiving Smith sounds, it's clear that she's fed up with the threatening and ranting from top separatists.
Key Moves
The first act played out when UCP President Rob Smith (no relation) said the party is so infiltrated by separatists that it won't take a stand on leaving or staying in Canada. The premier slapped him down, and the next day he endorsed sovereignty within a united Canada.
Act 2 came in the Calgary-Shaw riding, which is vacant after the resignation of Minister Rebecca Schulz. Stewart Jeanes, backed by separatists, was not allowed to stand as a nomination candidate. His application was deemed incomplete, and he missed the filing deadline. That's what they said, anyway. The message was clear. City Councillor Dan McLean and Mike Derry, who owns a talent management company, will face off at the nomination meeting on June 24.
