Alberta's Smith says she'll call up UCP officials not signing anti-separatism pledge

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she'll be making phone calls to cajole officials in her United Conservative Party who are pushing back on her attempts to quell separatist activism in the ranks.

"This isn't about free speech or reducing free speech," Smith told reporters at an unrelated news conference Friday.

"Any (UCP) member is allowed to think or say whatever they want.

"However, if they are in a spokesperson role for our party, then the job is to make sure that they're reflecting the policies and principles of our party."

Smith's comment comes as some UCP officials have refused to sign a new code of conduct stating they'll publicly respect the results of last month's referendum. About 75 per cent of voters said they want Alberta to stay in Canada and not hold a second, binding vote on separating. 

The CBC reported earlier this week that all 87 UCP constituency association presidents were asked by the party's executive director to sign the code of conduct by the end of Friday.

But in a response letter, 15 presidents say they won't be signing the pledge.

They say the board doesn't have the power to make a demand that amounts to being punished for holding a position on a political issue. They say it's a matter of free speech.

Smith, asked what she plans to do in response, said she'll "give them a call."

"I am gonna talk to them. Because I think people need to understand that this is really about what political parties are for: political parties are designed to win elections," she said.

"You have to have a team approach, when you're talking about speaking for the party."

The code of conduct for constituency presidents isn't the UCP's first attempt to dispel committed separatists from its ranks since the Oct. 19 referendum.

The party also announced that those seeking a board position at its upcoming annual general meeting have to sign a pledge saying they'll  honour the referendum result or risk being disqualified as a candidate.

The UCP also stripped party membership from Jeff Rath, one of the province's most well-recognized separatist activists.

Rath served as a lawyer for the group that collected about 300,000 signatures on a petition calling for a binding separation vote. 

The man who spearheaded the petition, Mitch Sylvestre, is one of the 15 UCP constituency association presidents who signed the letter opposing the code of conduct.

Dave Prisco, a spokesperson for the UCP, said the party would be working respectfully with constituency leaders, when asked Friday for comment on the letter.

"We will respect and honour the referendum results, and a strong Alberta within a united Canada is our position. We expect anyone in a leadership role to uphold that," Prisco said in an email.

"Our focus remains on the priorities of Albertans."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.

By Jack Farrell | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.