UCP board candidates must sign pro-Canada pledge

EDMONTON: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Tuesday that anyone seeking a seat on the board of the United Conservative Party at next month’s annual general meeting must sign a declaration promising not to advocate for separation.

Smith told reporters existing board members will also be expected to honour the pledge, and anyone who wants to run for the party in next year’s election will need to affirm pro-Canada views. “We’re not an independence party,” she said when asked about the form after photos of it began circulating on social media. “There’s lots of range for people to able to advocate on policy, but just not that.”

The form asks candidates to declare they will abide by and respect the results of last week’s referendum, in which voters overwhelmingly chose to keep Alberta in Canada. Candidates who do not sign will not be certified for the ballot, the form says. The annual general meeting is to be held in Calgary. Smith said the party still has to name about two-thirds of its candidates for the next election, scheduled for Oct. 18, 2027.

The declaration comes as Smith tries to rein in separatists inside her party. She has warned members the UCP could go the way of the NDP if it fractures over the issue. Last week she encouraged separatist leaders in the party to turn the page or find another party to join, but Mitch Sylvestre, a prominent figure in the independence movement, said he would not step down.

A few UCP constituency associations have called for a leadership review. On Monday, the board of the Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul riding, represented by backbencher Scott Cyr, narrowly passed such a motion in a secret ballot. Cyr, who said he disagreed with the outcome, urged members to rally behind the premier, citing concern about the consequences of continued division before the 2027 election. Sylvestre is president of that riding association. Smith dismissed the motion and said dozens of other associations have voted to support her leadership.

The referendum and the separatists inside the UCP dominated question period on the first day of the fall sitting. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called the referendum a waste of time and money and repeatedly asked Smith whether she regretted calling it. “We should never regret democracy,” Smith replied. Nenshi also asked whether she would remove caucus members with separatist leanings, such as backbencher Jason Stephan, who encouraged a second, binding vote on leaving Canada and said on referendum night that he will not seek re-election. Smith said she does not want to judge people on how they voted and that they will be judged on their actions going forward.

The party also lost a member of its caucus heading into the sitting, when Shane Getson quit the legislature. Canada News Media has also reported on the legislature’s return after the referendum, the government’s bill on diversity and inclusion in public hiring and the question of whether Smith can survive the referendum fallout.

This story is based on reporting by The Canadian Press, first published Oct. 27, 2026.

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