Time for a general election in Alberta
By Lethbridge Herald on February 25, 2026.
Dear Editor,
Premier Danielle Smith has announced a slate of divisive, racist and
separatist referendum questions she wishes Alberta voters to address in October 2026. She also characterises Alberta’s budgetary woes to be driven by population growth in Alberta which her party, under former Premier Kenney, actively encouraged.
Clearly, Smith’s “government” has,
in these prospective referendum
questions, encapsulated an Alberta general election platform for her
party. So, rather than waste time with these referendum votes in October, why does she not do the honest thing and call an Alberta general election instead, with the affirmative to these questions as her party’s election platform?
When calling this election, Smith and her UCP colleagues should declare their status one way or the other with respect to their signing/support, or not, of the so-called “Alberta Prosperity Project”
separatist question. Alberta voters deserve the honesty of such an
approach. As part of their election platform, Smith and the UCP should
also outline a fiscal plan that stabilizes government revenues, rather than consume one-time, non-renewable resource revenues, thereby robbing future generations of their assets.
Christopher J. Nicol,
Lethbridge
14-13
Waisting time on referendums is never a bad thing when usurping the ruled by judges crowd. This is direct grassroots democracy at the very level of citizen choice. Why is it, the left and the rest of the naysayers don’t want people to vote on initiatives and referendums. Lots of superlatives could be used here but won’t mimic Notley or Lucky Luke.
Good letter Christopher, However, I fear that should an election be called, Smith’s government being the closest thing to resembling Alberta conservative values would win an election hands down, Conservatives can do no wrong in Alberta. Stoking separation, blaming immigrants for Alberta’s problems, eroding supports for the disabled community are all acceptable under the conservative banner. Look back to so-called conservative leader Ralph Klein, one of the worst Alberta premiers ever, who got elected not once but three times…,