Premier of Alberta In the UCP leadership review, Danielle Smith receives 91% of the vote
Approximately 6,000 members registered for the meeting, and the party reported that 4,663 cast their votes in favor of Smith.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith garnered an impressive 91.5 percent support vote from her United Conservative Party (UCP) members during a scheduled leadership review on Saturday.
This figure significantly surpasses the 54 percent she received when she secured party leadership in 2022, a year in which her predecessor, Jason Kenney, also faced scrutiny with a mere 51 percent before resigning.
Approximately 6,000 members registered for the meeting, and the party reported that 4,663 cast their votes in favor of Smith.
Although there is no official minimum threshold for such votes, Smith had expressed hopes of exceeding the 54 percent mark earlier that day.
Historical context shows that previous conservative Alberta premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford achieved 77 percent in their leadership votes but were later ousted amid caucus controversies.
The party’s bylaws stipulate that a leadership review occurs every three years, meaning Smith will likely not face another until after the next provincial election in 2027 if she opts to seek a second term.
During her speech to party members at the start of the voting, Smith acknowledged that consensus is not always achievable but emphasized the importance of avoiding destructive infighting and remaining committed to conservative values.
Despite concerns from some party members regarding alleged broken campaign promises, many members and Smith’s cabinet wore buttons and T-shirts urging support for her leadership.
Political analysts suggested that Smith's position was not at significant risk, with the focus now on whether she and her cabinet would adhere to the policy preferences of party members.
Smith assured the enthusiastic crowd, “Together we will vigorously protect the rights and freedoms of Albertans and Alberta parents and children. Together we will build health and education systems that are among the best in the world.”
In recent months, Smith has been active across the province, engaging with party supporters while introducing policies that critics argue are intended to quell dissent among the party’s more socially conservative members.
This week, her government presented bills designed to establish guidelines around youth using preferred pronouns and names in schools, alongside restrictions on transgender surgeries and participation in female amateur sports.
Smith also announced a renewed legal challenge against the federal carbon levy and introduced legislation aimed at revising Alberta’s Bill of Rights to empower residents to refuse medical treatments, including vaccinations.
Alongside the leadership vote, party members also deliberated on various policy resolutions from constituency associations. The first resolution approved was a re-draft of the Alberta Bill of Rights amendments proposed by Smith’s government, with some UCP members from southern Alberta arguing that the initial amendments were insufficient.
Darrell Komick, a Calgary party member, encouraged fellow conservatives to vote in favor of accumulating rights, comparing them to hockey cards. “Because you never really know the value of the hockey card until that moment in time which you need it,” he stated.
Among other policy proposals, members supported a resolution to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices, training, and development programs for provincial employees. One supporter claimed such practices contributed to a toxic workplace, stating, “Use of public funds for (diversity, equity, and inclusion) must stop.”
Additionally, the membership overwhelmingly approved a motion to prohibit transgender women from using women’s washrooms, change rooms, and shelters, with Edmonton member Michelle Bataluk asserting that “the inclusion of non-biological females in these spaces and categories is both a violation of our privacy … and it poses several safety risks.”
A motion to limit government forms and documents to two gender options also received substantial backing, as did a policy advocating for the Alberta government to abandon net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets and recognize carbon dioxide as “a foundational nutrient for all life on Earth.”
Chestermere-Strathmore party member Christopher Bell argued that recognizing carbon dioxide this way would negate the need for net-zero targets.
It’s important to note that these policy proposals are non-binding, meaning Smith's UCP government is not obligated to implement every successful motion.
“I’m truly humbled and honored by the overwhelming support of our party members in my leadership,” Smith stated as thousands of supporters cheered, giving her a nearly minute-long standing ovation. “I want to thank all of you for everything that you’ve done to grow our movement and to make it stronger. Our party is more united than it has ever been.”
