15 United Conservative constituency presidents won't sign agreement to publicly back Alberta referendum result
Presidents of 15 United Conservative Party constituency associations say they won’t sign a revised code of conduct requiring them to publicly respect and abide by the result of a provincial referendum on national unity.
Presidents say party's board doesn't have authority to issue the demand
Janet French · CBC News
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Presidents of 15 United Conservative Party constituency associations say they won’t sign a revised code of conduct requiring them to publicly respect and abide by the result of a provincial referendum on national unity.
In a letter obtained by CBC News, the locally elected constituency board presidents say they disagree the party has the authority to change the code of conduct without members voting on the change. Four of the people listed on the letter told CBC News the letter was authentic.
The presidents, who are from constituencies in Edmonton, Calgary and beyond, also say such a demand doesn’t belong in a code of conduct, and contradicts an existing code provision that protects their freedom of expression.
“I believe they've overstepped their boundaries, and really I wanted it just to go away,” said Robert Such, president of the UCP constituency association in Calgary-Klein, whose name is on the letter.
In an interview on Thursday, Such said he has a strong sense of western alienation and is glad Alberta held an October referendum on whether to hold a second, binding referendum on the province pursuing independence from Canada.
“I'm happy it's done,” he said. “Let's move on to bigger things. Some people just can't stop litigating this.”
Days after three-quarters of voters who cast ballots in the Oct. 19 referendum indicated they wanted Alberta to remain in Canada, Premier Danielle Smith said in a video message to fellow UCP members that anyone who publicly represents the party must abide by Alberta voters’ federalist wishes.
Smith said that would include any candidates running for the party, UCP board members and the presidents of constituency associations in the province’s 87 ridings.
Alberta premier says UCP must be pro-Canada, separatists can 'join a different party'
UCP board candidates must sign declaration to abide by Alberta's vote to stay in Canada
Earlier this week, the party’s executive director sent all constituency association presidents a new non-disclosure agreement and code of conduct document to sign by Friday.
The UCP did not answer CBC News' questions by publication time about what the potential consequences would be for any constituency association president who refused to sign the document. Earlier this week, UCP spokesman Dave Prisco told CBC in an emailed statement the party intends to "honour" the referendum's outcome.
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Such said he thinks there’s little the party can do, which is why he felt comfortable declining. If the party cancels memberships in response, “We’re just electing the NDP,” he said.
Such said he does not think the party is rife with members who will continue the push for independence from Canada. He said his Calgary constituency association is more concerned with finding a high-quality candidate that appeals to urban, federalist voters for Oct. 18, 2027, the fixed election date.
University of Calgary political science Prof. Lisa Young said she believes the party board’s requirement for local leaders to back the referendum result conflicts with the UCP’s culture.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to party faithful at the United Conservative Party annual general meeting in Calgary, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
“It’s a party that very much values the idea of bottom-up, grassroots influence on government, on the party leader,” she said in an interview.
To introduce such a rule, the party could ask members to vote on a motion at its upcoming annual general meeting in Calgary, starting Nov. 27, Young said. However, she noted leaders may be afraid members won’t support it.
She said it’s possible the annual general meeting will be a “fractious event” instead of the type of cohesive gathering one might expect before a provincial election.
“I think you're going to see a lot of mobilization from the floor trying to push back against this sort of new top-down set of rules from the party leadership,” Young said. “Who will win coming out of a contest like that?”
Even if an attempt at forcing a unity message from party representatives leads members to leave the party — or be forced out — Young doesn’t think it’ll be a huge setback.
Elections Alberta figures show the UCP has so far raised $5.2 million in donations for the first three quarters of 2026, and this total may not include all constituency level contributions.
The Opposition Alberta NDP has reported nearly $3.6 million in contributions during the same period.
Young said she believes it's a bigger risk if a contingent of UCP members defect to another political party organized enough to garner votes, which could then split right-leaning voters.
“Smith is going to face a difficult election coming up,” Young said. “She's got to be thinking about that, because she's not doing particularly well in the polls while she's also fighting on another front with her own party.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet French covers the Alberta Legislature for CBC Edmonton. She previously spent 15 years working at newspapers, including the Edmonton Journal and Saskatoon StarPhoenix. You can reach her at janet.french@cbc.ca.
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