CALGARY – POLITICS – The United Conservative party in Alberta has a new leader. Danielle Smith won the leadership of Alberta’s United Conservative Party in a vote result announced last night. Smith will become Alberta’s new Premier.
The UCP leadership campaign Smith ran was driven by COVID-19 grievances, promises of no lockdowns, no vaccine mandates, a full load of anger at the federal government, and a full opposition to the leadership of Premier Jason Kenney.
Smith ten years ago led the now-defunct Wildrose Party. She has been a talk radio host, and a property rights proponent.
She is expected to be sworn in as premier in the coming days.
Smith does not hold a seat in Alberta’s legislature but has said that several MLAs have already offered to step aside in their rural ridings to allow her to run in a by-election.
At the heart of her campaign is a proposed Sovereignty Act. A piece of legislation that Smith says will be vital for Alberta to survive. It would, if enacted, give Alberta in effect veto power and the ability to override any federal legislation that the UCP and future governments are apposed to enacted by the federal government.
Political observers suggest that Smith’s successful leadership campaign was modelled on the same campaign style as new federal Conservative leader Poilivre.
Opponents of Smith say that her style while popular with the UCP party members who voted her into leadership is not popular with the general population of Alberta.
