Alberta’s separatist movement is turning its attention to Premier Danielle Smith and her governing United Conservative Party (UCP) after a decisive defeat in Tuesday’s referendum vote.
About 75.7 per cent of voters chose to remain in Canada, while 24.3 per cent supported triggering an independence referendum. The results were a major setback for separatists who had campaigned for months to advance the cause.
Although Smith officially supported staying in Canada, critics say she helped fuel the independence movement by allowing the vote to take place.
Now, separatist leaders are threatening to challenge her leadership of the UCP. Jeffrey Rath, a key figure in the movement, said he plans to push for a special party meeting to remove Smith as leader.
Rath argued that Alberta independence cannot succeed while Smith remains in charge, calling on party members and volunteers to take control of the UCP.
Polling before the vote showed that separatism had strong support among UCP supporters. About 52 per cent said they would support holding a referendum, while 44 per cent preferred staying in Canada. In comparison, 93 per cent of Alberta NDP supporters favoured remaining in the country.
The referendum could also create political problems for Smith. While separatism has support within parts of her party, the results show that most Albertans do not want to pursue independence.
The decision to hold the vote may also have weakened the UCP’s position in the polls, as the provincial NDP, led by Naheed Nenshi, has gained ground against Smith’s party.
