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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spoke to a sellout crowd of more than 2,000 United Conservative Party (UCP) supporters on Friday evening, outlining why Alberta should remain in Canada.
“I still believe that Canada can work. I believe that it works better every day, and that it can work even better in the future if we continue to fight for it together,” Smith said.
Organizers say the event at the BMO Center in Calgary was the largest dinner for UCP leaders in the party’s history.
Smith spoke for about 25 minutes, praising her administration’s achievements and addressing the party’s priorities.
But she said she knew that for many in the audience, the upcoming referendum on Oct. 19 was the most important issue. Albertans will have their say on 10 issues, including whether Alberta should remain in Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process to hold a binding referendum on separation.
Smith highlighted the memorandum of understanding with the federal government to build a new pipeline to the coast of British Columbia, telling the crowd that it has already attracted billions of new investment dollars for energy projects.
“Now I know some of you get a little queasy when I start praising the efforts of a Liberal prime minister,” Smith said with a laugh.
She told the crowd that she believes now is not the time to abandon opportunities for the province while progress is being made.
“That’s why I’m asking everyone here tonight to vote to remain and then to vote yes on the other nine referendum questions on the Oct. 19 ballot,” Smith said.
The other nine referendum questions include several on immigration, including whether Alberta should take more control of the process, as well as constitutional questions, such as whether Alberta should work with other provinces to abolish the Senate.
More than 2,000 UCP supporters attended the event in Calgary on Friday, making it the party leaders’ largest dinner yet. (CBC News)
Smith said a “yes” vote on these issues would be the best way for Albertans to express their frustration with Ottawa. And she said while she acknowledged long-simmering disputes with the federal government, fellow Canadians are the province’s neighbors and family.
“We all know our family needs to break some bad habits from the last decade and we’re working on it and we’ll get there,” she said.
Consistent polls have shown that about a third of voters support separation. Earlier this year, a Janet Brown Opinion Research poll for CBC News found that 57 percent of UCP supporters support separation.
A former UCP communications director said Smith’s speech struck a balance between appealing to those in her party who want to stay and those who would vote to leave.
“The prime minister has really nailed her message about what the October referendum should look like and what she will campaign for,” said Evan Menzies, who is now a vice president at Crestview Strategy.
A number of UCP MLAs were also in attendance, as was Kerry-Lynne Findlay, the new leader of the British Columbia Conservatives.