Danielle Smith tries to blame 700,000 illusory Albertans for her separatism gambit - May 24, 2026

Read on the Globe and Mail

Separatism isn’t popular in Alberta – except for the one place it matters to Ms. Smith. In April, pollster Janet Brown clocked 27 per cent of the province in favour of separation, 67 per cent against and six per cent on the fence. But among UCP supporters, separatism runs much higher at 57 per cent support. That’s not a coincidence – separatist campaigners openly talk about flooding party membership and grassroots leadership to keep the Premier and her government properly focused on priorities.