It would appear that the United Conservative Party Caucus is OK with having 18 of its members, including eight cabinet ministers, publicly identified as supporters of Alberta independence from Canada, as long as they preserve a few tatters of deniability.
The 18 MLAs appear on a list of separation sympathizers named publicly by the so-called Republican Party of Alberta. As of last night, well after the RPA’s “MLA Independence Scorecard” was widely discussed by media last weekend, all 18 remain identified on it as independence supporters.
In addition to the eight cabinet ministers, one of the MLAs is a Parliamentary secretary, one is the party whip, and one is the Speaker of the House.
Three MLAs responded to media when the story of the RPA list, which was first reported last spring, resurfaced on Sunday.
Cardston-Siksika MLA Joseph Schow told CTV that while he hasn’t signed the separation referendum petition brought forward under Alberta’s citizen-initiative legislation by the Alberta Prosperity Project, with which the UCP Government has been working hand in glove, he thought that Canada could work. So that sounds to me like a qualified rejection of Alberta independence from Canada. Mr. Schow is minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration.
Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA and chief UCP Whip Justin Wright stuck to the party line, telling City News that he supports a “sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.” This is not a meaningful statement since sovereignty as defined by Ms. Smith would mean Canada could no longer operate as a nation-state. Still, let’s call it a qualified rejection of independence too.
Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland MLA Shane Getson, the Parliamentary Secretary for economic corridors, crankily told City News that the RPA was acting like “adolescents scribbling down phone numbers on gas station bathroom cubicles.” However, he didn’t tell them whether or not he supported separation.
According to City News. Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson’s name had been removed from the list, as was Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney’s name some time ago. However, Mr. Sigurdson in fact remained listed on the site as an independence supporter as of last night.
Yesterday, I wrote the MLAs and asked them three questions:
- Are you in fact a supporter of Alberta independence from Canada?
- Have you signed the Alberta Prosperity Project separation referendum petition?
- If you are NOT a supporter of Alberta independence from Canada have you taken any measures to have the claim that you are removed from the RPA website?
I received the same response from Shanna Schulhauser, communications director for the UCP Caucus, as did CTV.
Speaking on behalf of all the MLAs, she wrote in full: “Alberta’s United Conservative Caucus believes that citizen-initiated referendum petitions should be a grassroots process left to private citizens to sign, not elected officials. Our caucus has also been clear that we support a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.”
She did not speak, of course, for Nathan Cooper, Alberta’s trade representative in Washington and as such an accredited Canadian diplomat. I have sent the former MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills a separate email and I will give him a little more time to respond before I comment on his unique situation.
Ms. Schulhauser’s response, though, leaves the views of all MLAs identified by the RPA as independence supporters unclear. What did they say that got their names on that list? If they support even a somewhat united Canada, why haven’t they tried to get their names off it?
Her response also doesn’t answer whether any of them have signed the APP petition. It tries to leave the impression party policy is for elected officials not to sign citizen initiative petitions without answering whether any of them actually have.
The response also implies the UCP Caucus is of one mind on “a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada” when this is widely understood not to be the case.
By doing so in these circumstances, it leaves the impression pro-Canadian MLAs in the UCP Caucus have been ordered not to speak out in defence of their country.
In other words, the UCP continues to suck and blow at the same time, hoping to leave its separatist base with the impression all its MLAs support independence and the rest of the Alberta with the false confidence they can safely sign the referendum petition to help the UCP negotiate for a “better deal” from the rest of Canada.
Premier Danielle Smith obviously has no problem that 30 per cent of her 27-member cabinet have been publicly identified as separatists and most have made no effort to challenge that claim.
Clearly, as far as all the MLAs on the RPA list are concerned, the survival of their party caucus, which is required for them to hold power in Alberta, is more important than the survival of their country.
11 UCP Cabinet Ministers and other office holders said by the RPA to support separation
- Devin Dreeshen, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, minister of transportation
- Shane Getson, Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, Parliamentary Secretary for economic corridors
- Nate Horner, Drumheller-Stettler, minister of finance
- Grant Hunter, Taber-Warner, minister of environment
- Todd Loewen, Central Peace-Notley, minister of forestry
- Martin Long, West Yellowhead, minister of infrastructure
- Ric McIver, Calgary-Hays, Speaker
- Dale Nally, Morinville-St. Albert, minister of Service Alberta
- Joseph Schow, Cardston-Siksika, minister of jobs, economy trade and immigration*
- RJ Sigurdson, Highwood, minister of agriculture
- Justin Wright, Cypress-Medicine Hat, chief government whip*
7 MLAS said by the RPA to support separation
- Eric Bouchard, Calgary Lougheed
- Scott Cyr, Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul
- Jennifer Johnson, Lacombe-Ponoka
- Chelsae Petrovic, Livingstone-Macleod
- Angela Pitt, Airdrie-East
- Jason Stephan, Red Deer-South
- Tany Yao, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo
*Although they are still identified as independence supporters by the RPA, Mr. Schow and Mr. Wright, as noted in the text, say they support Alberta remaining in Canada in some fashion.
If any MLA on these lists feels they have been unfairly portrayed as supporting independence when they do not, all they have to do is drop me a line. I’ll ensure Albertans are immediately informed they support Canadian unity. DJC
This horrific mess all could have been avoided if Albertans had listed to those who said that the UCP wasn’t good to begin with. Alas, they refused, and this is now the predicament we are in. These UCP MLAs swore an oath of allegiance, after they were elected. Seems like they forgot about that. It is going to get even worse for Alberta, until the UCP are gone. The damage the UCP has done is vast, and will take a lot of time to repair. Such a disgrace to Canada.
Anonymous how about meeting somewhere for lunch. I am buying. You and I think a lot a like. If you want to bring others also that would be fine.
Alan
Given that most of the gang of 18 seems in no hurry to get their names off the separatist list, is is probably fair to now call them presumed separatists.
Also it also help explain Smith’s equivocation. If she were to come out against separatism, most or all of them might leave to join or start a more clearly separatist party. This would then leave Smith without and majority and could also mean the end of her government.
Given their responses about the separatist petition, I feel Getson may have been one of the MLAs who signed it. If so, whether he has told his boss this, or if she otherwise knows, are interesting questions to also ask.
It would probably be best if the MLAs who signed the petition fess up publicly soon because people may continue to speculate about who they are. However, with around 18 potential separatists, I suppose there is also no shortage of potential names to speculate on about this.
They probably think they can ignore this, like they will ignore the recall petitions. Successful or not, those recall petitions show the mood of the electorate has shifted since the last election. Albertans deserve to know where their elected representatives stand on separatism. No one should vote for a candidate who evades or refuses to answer the question. Separatism: yes or no? Refusal to answer this simple question indicates “yes”. My MLA is on this list of separatist supporters and won’t be getting my vote in the next (spring) election.
Agree!!
Traitors. Every single one of them. Filthy TRAITORS.
And also so unintelligent with no critical thinking skills.
The first job of pretty much all politicians is to get re-elected. How they go about that can differ greatly, and as demonstrated by the UCP, greasy lies and re-directs seem to be their option of choice. Kind of makes a sleezy used car salesman look like a real hero. Now that separatism is a hot topic, what does Dingy want to talk about? You guessed it, let’s talk about daylight savings time. Not only is it a distraction, she wants to ask the same question over again in a referendum, do you want permanent day light savings time, which has already been rejected twice. Now if she asked do you want to go to regular standard time all year round, perhaps most of might go for that.
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid the UCP are, in particular Dingy Smith, by asking the same question over and over again and expecting a different answer.
I emailed my MLA, Chelsae Petrovic, last week and asked her 2 things. Are you going to sign the Pro-Canadian pledge, if not why? I also asked if she was going to sign Corb Lund’s petition, regarding coal mining on the Eastern Slopes and again, if not why? I have yet to received any response and I’m not expecting to. When she was first elected, she used to go around to coffee shops and sit with the locals, but apparently she was getting so much push back on the Eastern Slopes, she turtled.
And yes, she’s the one that criticized heart patients in Alberta and because of that, she was rewarded with the position, to help Adriana LaStrange restructure our health care system.
Could somebody tell me what is the status or what happened to the Forever Canadian petition that exceeded the required number of signatories to be valid?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/alberta-primetime/article/former-deputy-premier-says-smith-is-hellbent-on-separation-referendum/ DJC
According to the Oaths of Office Act, before they can take a seat in the assembly MLAs must swear an oath of allegiance to Canada’s reigning Monarch. By promoting policies that would fracture the very federation they pledged to uphold (i.e. separatism) , they’ve undermined the spirit of their oath and broken trust with the public. Such a shift raises serious questions about integrity, accountability, and commitment to democratic institutions.
If an MLA no longer abides by that oath they should not be allowed to hold the title of MLA and should voluntarily resign or be deposed.
These UCP MLA’s have been told they can con their constituents by keeping their mouths shut on the separation issue and just let Danielle Smith
do the talking- out of both sides of her mouth. Are they ALL that duplicitous? Is there not a single one with the integrity to answer the question, “Are you for separation, or against it?” That’s the least they owe their constituents, good grief. Duplicitous, traitorous, self-serving, AND cowardly. What a bunch.
This idiots have certainly bought themselves a can of worms haven’t they. They can’t hide.
All this could have been avoided if they hadn’t allowed it to happen in the first place, but then Danielle Smith has never been very smart. While walking the floor to join the Jim Prentice government she got all 9 of them defeated, now she’s gotten all of them defeated. Albertans have had enough of this Gong Show, with 65% saying no to this stupidity. That’s how stupid they are, isn’t it?
Proof that when Albertans vote UCP, they are in fact voting for MAGA. The UCP is not on Team Canada. You are either pro-Canada or Pro-Trump like Batshit Smith and her caucus.
To be fair, Quebec separatists even have their own party.
The feds aren’t really in a position to lock this down unless they’re willing to go at the financial angle.
The difference is–the Bloc Quebecois are not back room negotiating with France to fund their efforts nor are they threatening to join a clearly fascist rogue state on our border to gut the place for the benefit of a few rich people.
Mainly they just advocate for better social services and hate Muslim clothing choices as far as I can tell.
Actually, Québec separatists have three parties: the “official” sovereigntist Parti Québécois, the left-leaning Québec Solidaire party, and — in a mid-1990s development only Canada would tolerate — the federal Bloc Québécois, an avowedly sovereigntist party that only contests parliamentary seats in Québec, and only acts in what they see as being the interest of Québec in the House of Commons.
Does Alberta, on the other hand, have an avowedly separatist party? When you look on the Elections Alberta website at the list of registered parties, there appears to be at least three, based on their party names. These are,
– the Republican Party of Alberta
– the Independence Party of Alberta
– the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta
However, unlike Québec’s separatist parties, not one of these openly separatist parties has ever elected anyone to the Legislative Assembly.
https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/political-participants/parties/
The cat’s out of the bag and she is still leading in the polls. Albertans have been described as sheep. Not accurate, they are lemmings.
JE: I can’t dispute your point, but governments with a popular mandate have a lot of inertia. We are witnessing change in the United States that even three or four months ago I would have thought impossible. Perhaps the same thing will happen here. DJC
What an inspiring bunch. The cowardly 18.
Hello DJC and fellow commenters,
I think that Anonymous has succinctly summarized the situation. So many people in Alberta don’t seem to believe Danielle Smith even when she has stated her position for years on various subjects. Intentional destruction of socialized health care is only one example.
Given the upcoming March multi billion dollar deficit, the state of Alberta classrooms, the mismanagement of public health care, and many other issues including environmental disregard and interference in municipal politics, it is no surprise that UCP members would enjoy a distraction from their responsibilities and try to jump ship.
All this after being gifted a 34 billion dollar pipeline by the federal government.
The UCP has long ago made their ‘strategic’ and calculated bargain with a fractious populist subset of Alberta voters wishing to “Make Alberta Great Again”. [“And yet the president of Smith’s party has said separatists make up two-thirds to 75 per cent of the UCP base.”]
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/12/19/opinion/alberta-ucp-separatism-danielle-smith
Deals with the Devil have their own historical antecedents and are hardly novel:
“A “deal with the devil,” also known as a Faustian bargain, refers to a pact where a person sacrifices their moral integrity for power or success, often at a great cost. The term originates from the legend of Faust, a character who made a deal with the devil for knowledge and pleasures, ultimately losing his soul.”
“The phrase “deal with the devil” originates from the legend of Faust, a character in German folklore. Faust is depicted as a scholar who makes a pact with the devil, often represented by Mephistopheles, trading his soul for knowledge, power, or worldly pleasures. This concept has evolved into a broader metaphor for sacrificing one’s moral integrity for personal gain.”
Noting that all con games, or confidence tricks exploit the human psychological aspects of greed by promising easy gains through get rich quick schemes, vanity, naivete, and by manipulating emotions such as hope and fear. All of those named exploits are being used in the separatist PR campaign and on a regular basis by the governing UCP itself.
It is interesting these MLAs support separation but continue in their positions. Of course in their current positions they can continue to support separation from the inside and best of all they can continue to collect their salaries. You really can’t do your best for the province as at the same time you are trying to leave Canada. The honourable thing to do would be resign but that would require them to give up that lovely salary and benefits. My take on it is, those people are just going with what they think will benefit them the most. They don’t care for Alberta or its citizens.
The look on Schow’s face says it all, DJC. I get a chuckle at the expense of his bulbous mug every time you post that pic.
There are two scenarios in play as far as I can tell. First, these separatist clowns can’t be that proud of their leanings, otherwise they’d be shouting it from the chandeliers and rooftops (“I’m a separatist, proud of it and no one will keep me silent”). Keeping silent almost indicates secret embarrassment, like they are afraid to face family, friends and the public armed with the knowledge of their treacherous leanings.
Second scenario: the silence is very much a purposeful party policy, which would indicate nefarious, deceitful intentions. The UCP plays middle-of-the-road (as if this whole separation movement is organic and grassroots based haha) and then rips off the mask when politically expedient to do so. This scenario shows how self centred and greedy these individuals are, willing to literally do anything to achieve power and wealth, especially at the expense of their fellow citizens.
Neither of these scenarios are great but unfortunately I know which one is more likely. As I’ve said in this space before, no one is going to ride in and save us, no magical scandal is coming to rid us of the UCP. Literally our only hope is the UCP is torn into 2 far right political parties (one for Canada, one against) that splits the Reformer vote, which at least in theory would give the NDP a chance to form government again.
FoF: That was taken in February 2024, not that long ago, although back when a few UCP MLAs still bothered to show up in the Legislature Building Rotunda at Budget Speeches and session openings. I suspect that nowadays far fewer show up. After all, they might be asked if they signed the separation referendum petition. DJC
I contacted east Lethbridge MLA Nathan Neudorf and asked the following question: did you sign the Alberta separation petition? if not, are planning to do so?.
Mr. Neudorf answer: As a rule I do not sign petitions of any kind, no matter the topic. ok, as a rule you don’t, but did you break your rule this time?
I have just emailed my MLA (Devin Dreeshen) directly asking him verbatim your questions. I cc’d you.
I’m wondering 2 things….
Will he respond?
What would happen if your readers started asking their MLAs your 3 questions….
Hmmm
Jessica: I’m sure he won’t respond. If he does, I doubt he’ll answer. These MLAs need to be asked the question in public, preferably in a crowd with with smartphone cameras running nearby. DJC
If Alberta wants to secede from the rest of Canada then perhaps First Nations and urban centers may want to secede from Alberta. This was part of the conversation in Quebec during their referendum.
Your line “suck and blow at the same time” reminds me of the picture of P.P. playing pretend cowboy – his new pretend job I guess. And I am sure he had a pretend gun license.
I have written to my rep (Chantal de Jonge) twice to ask if she supports separation. She has not responded.
Smith’s actions reflect a fundamental ignorance of, or disrespect for, the traditions of a party laying out a platform on which they campaign hoping to win the election. Much of what she has done in this term she claims to be based on being given a mandate to govern for the prescribed time. A mandate comes from people knowing what the party plans to do and citizens endorsing that platform with their vote. That’s a mandate. There can be no deliberate deception of saying you’re not separatist…until after the election. She has clearly signalled what she is. We must vote based on what our “lying eyes” have witnessed.
So, the UCP can’t claim a a mandate to create a provincial police force, adopt an Alberta Pension, or privatize health care (remember the Premier stating categorically that no Alberta would have to pay out of pocket for health care?) because these were not policies stated before people voted for them. We can’t believe her “sovereignty within a united Canada” nonsense. We have to assume that voting UCP is voting for a separatist government no matter how they obfuscate. Given any statistics on support for separatism, even the fantastical 30% number thrown around by the Premier, no Alberta government can be formed based on a separatist agenda. Period.
What’s the big deal? Separatists have been openly running around Quebec for years. They even formed their own federal party which sent separatists to Ottawa to sit as MP’s in the Canadian Parliament.
Ron: Quebec separatists’ federal party never pretended to be a pro-Confederation party. That’s the big deal. DJC
Yet despite this list and the other UCP govt. shenanigans, I fully expect rural Albertans to return a full slate of UCP at the next election. Is it something in the water they drink? For decades I have searched for answers beyond the obvious: ill-informed, under-educated, born stupid.
The photo tells it all. We need to keep up the pressure.
Take their names, and note their silence.
Evidence against them all, to be sure.
Let the French Revolution show us how to deal with these traitors.
You might find it difficult finding a guillotine.
Useless idiotic traitors.
RECALL JASON STEPHAN.
The latest polls show that 65% of Albertans don’t support separation so that is great. Wouldn’t you have thought with so many signing the original petition these idiots would have gotten the message , but like Smith they can’t take no for an answer, they aren’t man enough to accept the truth.
ARP?? Alberta Republican Party? Are you kidding me?? Just when the States is crying out for reprieve from a Fascist, murdering dictator, we’re getting on board with this? I hate to burst your bubble, UCP, but you are aligning us to be on the wrong side of history. Stop this madness, power grab and juvenile behaviour before we all regret this move. I’m Canadian and an Albertan. But, primarily, I live in CANADA.