The UCP is facing pushback from some of its top organizers for demanding all riding presidents sign a non-disclosure agreement that declares they “recognize, respect and will abide by” results of the separation referendum.
This new demand comes weeks after three-quarters of Albertans voted to keep the province in Canada rather than pursue independence — and Premier Danielle Smith urged UCP members to accept the outcome and move on, or leave for another party.
Party brass recently made candidates for upcoming provincial board elections sign a declaration that they will abide by the referendum decision. Now it’s extending that condition to all 87 current presidents of UCP constituency associations.
“I understand and acknowledge that my public statements and actions as a CA president will have a direct impact on the reputation of the CA and the association,” says the combination NDA and code of conduct sent by party executive director Dustin van Vugt, and obtained by CBC News.
“Accordingly, I wish to clearly state that I recognize, respect, and will abide by the majority decision made by Albertans on Question #10 of the 26/10/19 referendum.”
In an email to riding presidents, van Vugt requested they all sign and return the pledge by this Friday.
But multiple riding presidents are reluctant or unwilling to sign the document, and are calling it an unfair way to stifle their speech.
“It’s not wise to be trying to suppress when we should be trying to unify,” said Darrell Komick, president of the United Conservative association for Calgary-Lougheed.
“That’s the sort of thing that will stop people from volunteering.”
Komick has led one of the party’s most outspoken local groups, having hosted past forums that questioned Alberta’s place within Canada and the safety of COVID vaccines. He also ran unsuccessfully for party president last fall, promising a greater embrace of the pro-independence position.
“As the party of free speech, we should understand that that comes with risks as a party, but it also comes with rewards,” Komick told CBC News.
Darrell Komick, president of the UCP riding association for Calgary-Lougheed, has hosted many forums on contentious topics like vaccine safety. (Youtube/Alberta Politics)
The riding presidents opposed to the party’s new NDA span both sides of the referendum question that has divided party members. One said that at least 15 presidents are signing their own letter to the party explaining that they refuse to endorse the NDA.
“It appears a jam-down by certain people at the upper reaches of the party to squash any public embarrassment or public conflict about independence, and it’s just wrong,” said one president, who did not want to use their name for fear of retribution.
This president, who opposes Alberta independence, questioned why only one divisive issue is highlighted in this non-disclosure form.
“We have back and forth about friggin’ abortion,” said the constituency president. “Why are we singling out this one issue? It’s just ridiculous.”
The source said this agreement appears at odds with a section of the party’s existing code of conduct, which says that constituency association board members shall “not be reprimanded or disciplined by the party… or CA board for exercising their freedom of expression unless such expression constitutes an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada.”
United Conservative officials did not reply to CBC News’ questions before deadline.
Independence supporters at the referendum-night watch party on Oct. 19. Polls suggest that half or more of UCP supporters backed the pro-independence option on the referendum. (Julia Wong/CBC)
Even though Smith had repeatedly declared support for keeping Alberta within Canada, detractors accused her of being too supportive of the separatists within UCP ranks, and making it easier to get the independence question onto the ballot.
But in the days after October’s resounding pro-unity decision, Smith declared the United Conservatives are clearly pro-unity as a party, and that no candidates or MLAs would be allowed to support independence.
“It also means we expect every member of our provincial board and members of constituency association boards across the province to uphold the position of our party on this issue,” the premier said in a video statement to party members last month.
While it was vastly unpopular among most segments of Albertans, about half of UCP supporters supported the pro-independence option in the referendum, according to polling before the vote.
The premier has since faced pockets of resistance from her UCP base, including separatist activists frustrated she took sides in the referendum.
Five riding associations have endorsed subjecting Smith to a leadership review, although most other party constituency groups passed motions opposing a review, meaning that her place in the party is under no immediate threat.
Some pro-independence activists are running for places on the UCP provincial board at the party convention in Calgary later this month. They endorsed the declaration that they’d abide by the unity referendum’s results, but said they’d continue to freely advocate for more “sovereignty” for Alberta within Canada in the short term.
Albertans have rejected the proposal to begin the process of separation with three-quarters of voters choosing Canada. Forever Canadian founder and former deputy premier of Alberta Thomas Lukaszuk joins Power & Politics after 18 months of preaching unity in the province.
While non-disclosure agreements and codes of conduct are not unusual for not-for-profit organizations, it’s odd to see a policy declaration tucked inside it, one governance expert told CBC News.
“When you’re involved in a governing body, you can’t pre-commit your political stance,” said Nolan Crouse, instructor and lead expert with the board development program at MacEwan University in Edmonton.
“When I walk into a meeting, I’m supposed to be open-minded. But the verbiage here looks like that the provincial association is pre-committing you to a political stance or [to] ‘abide by’ something, right?”
Crouse, the former mayor of St. Albert, said he’s surprised the form passed “the acid test” among UCP’s leadership and top governance officials.
Frustration over Smith’s new push to steer the UCP away from separatism emerged this week at an Edmonton forum for party board candidates.
“Now I’m a little confused when our leader tells us if you’re not a federalist, you do not belong in this party, and then you’re going to come to me and ask for my money and help to door-knock?” said Wade Collinge, a Sylvan Lake resident wearing a separatist group’s T-shirt.
“Whose party is this? Is this Danielle’s party or is it the members party?”
Rob Smith, the provincial UCP president, interrupted from the front of the room to defend the premier.
“She’s not asking you to be a federalist,” he said. “She’s not asking anyone to be a federalist. She’s saying: respect the result of 75 per cent of Albertans.”
The UCP president added that not a single dollar of party money went toward advocating on either side of the unity referendum, though the party did campaign on the other nine questions.
