Smith draws pro-Canada line for UCP representatives

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has told United Conservative Party members that people who represent the party must support its pro-Canada position, drawing a boundary after voters rejected pursuing a separation referendum and prompting pushback from a prominent separatist within the UCP. In a video and remarks Wednesday, Smith said the UCP is not an independence party. She said members may hold their own views, but candidates and people serving in official party roles must accept the position of a strong Alberta within a united Canada. She invited those who want to actively promote separation to join another party. About 75% of voters chose to keep Alberta in Canada in Question 10 of the referendum, rejecting the option of beginning the process for a second, binding vote on separation. The reported figure was preliminary in some accounts; another report put the share at 75.7%. Smith warned that division could split the UCP and harm the province, and linked party unity to its prospects in the next provincial election. She said she would wait to see whether further action became necessary before deciding whether to expel or disqualify people who continued the separation debate....