Deciphering Smith’s bows to the separatist crowd
By Lethbridge Herald on May 27, 2025.
Trevor Harrison
For the Herald
Since becoming UCP leader and, later, Alberta premier, Danielle Smith has subtly and not so subtly pushed for independence. Her stated patriotism for Canada has been late in coming and mostly lukewarm. More telling are her recent moves making it easier for a small but vocal group within Alberta to introduce a referendum on separatism.
Smith says she is only giving some Albertans the opportunity to vent their anger and frustration, much of which she herself has stoked. (One wonders what her response would be if sufficient signatures were obtained to put the idea of nationalizing the oil industry to a referendum.) She hints, too, that a referendum is necessary to prevent a split within the UCP, though this strategy may be too clever by half.
Polls suggest that an outright vote on independence would be defeated. Besides the affection most Albertans hold for Canada – especially now when the country faces severe threats from the U.S. – the vast majority would also be swayed in any vote by the significant economic and legal costs of pursuing separation. Yet, Smith pursues measures that bring Alberta closer to a constitutional crisis. Inquiring minds want to know, “why?”
There are several possible answers. Smith may be responding to political pressures from her UCP base. The party’s hardcore rightwing anointed her as UCP leader and, later, premier. Smith is mindful that the same group brought down former premier Jason Kenney. She is mindful to constantly feed the beast lest it swallow her.
Smith’s actions may just reflect a deep personal grievance against the federal government, the Liberals, and even Canada. (She was eight years of age when Trudeau père brought in the National Energy Program which she and others continue to blame for the downturn in the price of oil in the early 1980s.)
But she also seems to hold the belief that Canada is a collection of provincial fiefdoms, with no role for the federal government. She once opined that Canada does not have a national government.
Smith’s threats – like those employed by Donald Trump – may simply be part of a bargaining strategy, albeit a poor one. She has listed nine demands, many of which are impossible for any federal government to grant. Additionally, several of these also tread on the jurisdiction of other provinces and the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples. If there is a strategy here it can only be to rachet up anger within her base.
Smith may simply be engaging in distraction. She is facing enormous pressures on the home front over government policies and economic uncertainty as the price of oil once again does a swan dive. Smith’s efforts at health care restructuring are a conspicuous problem. She promised on becoming premier that she would fix health care in ninety days. Instead, things have gotten far, far worse. Additionally, a strong whiff of scandal hangs over the Health Ministry’s handling of private contracting, with no less than seven inquiries going on at present.
Smith’s policies and musings over separation may just reflect her chaotic style of managing. She often says things, or takes stances, based on an absence of facts or a consideration of all the consequences of her actions. Famously, in 2013, she jumped into an alliance with then Premier Jim Prentice, seeing it as a quick road to political power. The road took a disastrous turn, and she remained in the political wilderness for the next decade, but she continues to grab on to dubious ideas to which she is attracted.
It is likely that some combination of all these explanations for Smith’s actions is correct. In any case, for Albertans and Canadians the stakes are high as Smith continues waving support for separatism.
Trevor W. Harrison is a retired political sociologist at the University of Lethbridge and former director of the Parkland Institute.
13-12
Was there any doubt the Herald is an NDP bias paper?
No shock that one of the biggest promoters of Marxist, socialist, progessive and woke ideologies, the U of L academia once again pushes misinformed views with the intent to discredit the Premier! What ever happened to educating our young impressionable minds so they can succeed in this world? Instead they are filled with biases, which appear to lean towards Marxist views! For now, we will avoid the Chinese and radical Islam influences in our institutions, bought by major funding!
The Premier cannot make it clearer, that she doesn’t want to separate!
You mention polls . . . this is the most recent!
A new Leger poll shows that support for Alberta Independence has reached 47% amongst Albertans, with 48% opposed and 5% undecided.
The poll also asked voters in the rest of the country how they felt about Alberta potentially leaving Canada. 62% of Canadians nationally were opposed to Alberta separating, with just 26% in favour.
However, when asked whether they understood why Alberta might want to become an independent country, 55% responded yes and 37% responded no.
So, 55% understands why . .. our learned academics at the U of L don’t!
They also fail to understand the democratic process which in this case, is what the Premier is respecting and allowing that process to be fair and accessible!
Your NDP biased comments come at a time we should have united as a province, instead constant misinformaton and comments are a bid to bring down the UCP! That is how the NDP operates . . . they want power so badly, the rest of the province suffers by the constant strife created!
It is very sad that young impressionable minds are filled with ideas from those who are given responsibility and trust to educate them, yet move them towards their own political agenda, from what I have observed!
Sadly it is not only found at the U of L, but across Canada! No wonder students are protesting in support of terrorist organizations, burning our flag, we are Hamas and screaming death to Canada! Campuses have gone far beyond the education of our youth and have become bases for even foreign influences to cause conflict . . . which is one of the principals of psyops in bringing down a country from within, without military!
This constant attack by Alberta political scientists is prevalent, seen in the news repeatedly whether they are from Calgary or Edmonton or Lethbridge.
Check you facts when you state:
” . . .More telling are her recent moves making it easier for a small but vocal group within Alberta to introduce a referendum on separatism. . . “
‘Marxist, socialist, progressive and woke …’ Wow, quite the crowd. I guess that’s what learnin’ does to some folks.
Better, I think, to close the universities and capture people early in Bunds to instill Discipline and Faith and Truth and Purity.
Pursuit diver cries about bias yet the herald prints his response.
You might have something if they didn’t let you respond, but they did… With a pile of garbage… but they did
pursuit dryver.
planet mars talk.
The writer has a long history of a preference for socialism, so it is no surprise that his ideas would not align with the UCP. Much of this letter could be classified as mere speculation. Recent polls suggest that as many as 30% of Albertans are in favor of separation from Canada. No premier can simply ignore a significant minority.The premier has stated on various occasions that she supports Alberta within a united Canada. I would prefer to believe her, until proven otherwise.
“I would prefer to believe her, until proven otherwise.” Isn’t that what Smith’s Wild Rose colleagues thought, until she crossed the floor to the Prentice conservatives?