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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her United Conservative government spoke of their unwavering love for Canada on Monday as the Opposition NDP accused them of harbouring a separatist.
“It’s rich to have them [the NDP] questioning [our] patriotism when we just recently sang the national anthem in this chamber together,” Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams told the house amidst noisy heckling in question period session.
“On this side of the house, we love our country.”
Smith reiterated her long-standing support for what she calls a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.
“That means Alberta stays a province in Canada, and we address the very real grievances that people have about the way we’ve been treated by the federal government,” she said.
The debate came just days after UCP backbencher Jason Stephan, in a column published by the media outlet Western Standard, pushed for Albertans to sign a petition calling for a referendum on separatism.
Stephan wrote that a referendum is about holding the federal government accountable. He declined to stop to answer questions from reporters on his way into the house Monday.
NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi told the house she believes Stephan’s statements indicate Smith’s caucus harbours separatists and reiterated a call for him to be removed from the UCP benches.
In his op-ed last week, Stephan wrote that he believes signing the petition that is pushing for a referendum on separation is “different from the referendum vote itself.”
“Signing the petition supports your right to vote and decide on the objective merits, yes or no,” he wrote.
While speaking to the house on Monday, Pancholi asked, “How many more UCP MLAs will be honest with their constituents and admit that they would rather leave Canada than lead Canada?”
Williams shot up from his chair to answer her question.
“We’ve answered over and over again that we are for a united Canada,” he said.
Williams then challenged the Opposition NDP’s devotion to Alberta.
He cited newly elected federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis’ opposition to pipeline development, which has sparked pushback from Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. Nenshi has said he is willing to meet with Lewis.
“Members opposite cannot say that they are proud to be Albertans the way we can say we’re proud to be Canadians,” said Williams.
“I challenge members opposite to … defy Avi Lewis and defend Alberta and our energy industry the way I and my colleagues defend Canada.”
Smith, speaking at an unrelated news conference Monday, faced questions from reporters about Stephan’s op-ed.
“[Stephan] was promoting people signing the petition and promoting people taking part in a citizen-led democratic process,” she said.
“My personal view is that these should be citizen-led processes, and that elected people shouldn’t participate in them.”
Over the weekend, Smith said she welcomes diverse views in her caucus when asked about Stephan on her provincewide radio show on 880 CHED and QR Calgary.
Nenshi challenged those views in the chamber Monday.
He cited Smith’s booting of a rural backbencher from caucus last March following his public opposition to the government’s proposed budget.
“There is no one dividing Canada more than this premier and this government every single day,” he said.
