Former Alberta cabinet minister says Smith can’t survive UCP crisis after referendum

Former Alberta cabinet minister Peter Guthrie contends that Premier Danielle Smith cannot endure the turmoil within her United Conservative Party (UCP) following the recent separation referendum. Guthrie, who recently departed from the UCP caucus in protest over a health-care procurement scandal, now heads the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta.

According to Guthrie, the Monday referendum incensed both federalist and separatist factions, leaving Smith with a greater number of opponents than allies. Approximately 75% of the voters opted to retain Alberta as part of Canada, rather than approve a second referendum on the province's potential departure from the country. The Smith administration alleges that Guthrie is out of touch with Albertans and spreading misleading information.

In a Wednesday statement, the premier asserted that anyone seeking to run for or represent the UCP must adopt its pro-Canada platform. Smith warned that separatists seeking to transform the party into an independence platform should seek affiliation with another organization, cautioning that internal dissent could jeopardize the UCP’s prospects in the upcoming election.