Alberta premier contradicts United Conservative Party president on separation

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is at odds with the president of her own party on the issue of the province quitting Canada.

Rob Smith, the president of the United Conservative party, has said the UCP will not take a position on the upcoming referendum regarding whether Alberta should stay in Canada.

Premier Smith, however, begs to differ.

Speaking in a radio interview on Wednesday with host Shaye Ganam on QR Calgary and 880 CHED, Smith said she is the one who speaks for the party, and the party’s position is Alberta stays in Canada.

“Our party had as its founding principles that we support autonomy for Alberta within the United Canada. It’s right in our founding principles — every one of my MLAs got elected on that,” said Smith.

“That’s why I say that our party, our caucus and our government are on board with working on what we need to do to remain in Canada and to address the legitimate concerns that Albertans have.”

The president of the UCP, who is not related to Danielle Smith, could not be immediately reached for reaction to the premier’s comments.

During the interview, Smith was also asked about some of the challenges that Alberta would face if the province eventually decided to separate from Canada.

“There’s massive startup costs. I mean, remember we have never had national defence. We don’t have independent courts. Those would have be set up. We don’t have border control. I don’t know how many folks who go and regularly visit family in Saskatchewan and British Columbia would want to show passports and have to stop at border,” said Smith.

“These are the very practical things that they’ve discovered in the United Kingdom, that none of the promises of windfalls panned out — but a whole bunch of irritations ended up coming up that prevented them from being able to expand trade, travel freely, work freely, own houses in Spain. Those are the things I want people to understand.”

You can listen to Shaye Ganam’s entire interview with Premier Danielle Smith at Global News online.

Albertans will go to the polls on Oct. 19 to vote on whether to stay in Canada or begin the process to hold a second referendum on leaving.

–with files from Global News.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press