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EDMONTON — Former premier Jason Kenney, who co-founded Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party, says separatists have infiltrated it and are wielding an outsized influence.
Kenney, speaking to business leaders in Edmonton alongside his former political rival Rachel Notley, said Tuesday that after the province’s separation vote the party will face a “reckoning.”
He said the UCP needs to decide whether it stands on its founding federalist principles, and if so, separatists need to be shown the door.
“There’s no doubt that those folks have infiltrated (the party),” Kenney said at an Edmonton Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
“They’re welcome to participate in democracy, but if their primary goal is separation, then they have to do it in a separatist party,” he said.
Kenney’s conservatives defeated Notley’s NDP government in 2019, and Premier Danielle Smith took over as UCP leader in 2022.
Kenney stepped down amid frustration in his party over COVID-19 restrictions.
He said Tuesday many of the same hard-right Albertans angered by COVID “conspiracy theories” became organized and have moved on to the next fight — separation.
Kenney’s comments come as advance polls open and Albertans vote on 10 questions in a referendum ahead of the final polling day Monday.
The key question asks whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
Notley and Kenney have united in a campaign to keep the province from quitting Canada.
Kenney said it appears the majority of the UCP caucus is committed to Canada.
“But, there is clearly a problem that the folks who used to run these marginal separatist parties got tired of getting pummeled with one or two per cent of the vote,” he said.
He also pointed to Quebec, where he said it would be unthinkable to hold a referendum on secession without an explicit mandate from the people in an election.
“We should have at least as much respect for the democratic process here as Quebec separatists do there,” he said.
Notley agreed, saying the UCP needs to do some soul-searching to understand how “such a small tail on an otherwise completely respectable dog” has garnered the influence it has.
Speaking to reporters later Tuesday, Kenney said the UCP would not even exist as a party had loyalty to Canada not been agreed to by its founding parties.
“The commitment is clear, and separatists trying to infiltrate a federalist party are fundamentally dishonest and disrespectful of democracy,” he said.
He added that while as UCP leader, he invalidated some three dozen would-be candidates from running in the 2019 election because they had a record of advocating for separatism.
“You’re either for Canada, national unity, or you’re not, and if you’re still a citizen, you’re welcome to be involved in democracy. Go and do that in a separatist party,” said Kenney.
When asked to comment on Smith’s leadership, and willingness to accept separatism advocates in her caucus and party, Kenney declined to weigh in.
“I don’t want to be a Monday morning quarterback,” he said. “When this is all over, I hope that the party that was elected twice as a federalist party, that was founded on federalist principles, will clearly be a federalist party.”
Notely, however, said the rest of Alberta is being “held hostage” by a small segment of the population.
She said Smith needs to eject members of caucus and cabinet who will not commit to staying in Canada.
“That’s exactly what the leader should do, and in failing to do that she is abdicating her obligation to Albertans and to Canadians.”
Smith has repeatedly said she will vote in favour of staying in Canada.
Despite some of her caucus members supporting separation or declining to say where they stand, Smith has emphasized that her party and government take the position that they support staying in Canada.
Smith has said every political party has a range of diverse views, but the majority view wins the day.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
