There is no UCP bylaw or party principle statement calling for the party to be loyal to Canada.
In an interview with CTV, former premier Jason Kenney said, “When I created the United Conservative Party, I wrote into its founding bylaws a commitment to a strong Alberta within a united Canada, and the party has been elected to a majority government twice on that basis.”
There has been a persistent myth perpetuated by some that the UCP contains a bylaw or party principle statement calling for the party to be loyal to Canada or support unity, but it isn’t true.
In May 2026, Premier Danielle Smith said, “Let me be clear, because I do speak for our government, our caucus and our party. Our party had as its founding principles that we support autonomy for Alberta within a united Canada. Every one of my MLAs got elected on that.”
There is nowhere in the party principles saying the party is committed to autonomy within a united Canada, nor were any MLAs elected on that.
The basis of the mistruth is an agreement in principle (AIP) that was signed between Jason Kenney and Brian Jean when the decision was made to merge the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party in 2017. A statement in the AIP said, “Loyalty to a united Canada, and a commitment for Alberta to be a Leader in the Canadian federation that constructively defends the best interests of the province and its constitutional sovereignty.”
That proposal was never adopted by the new party and was nothing more than a drafted proposal created prior to the creation of the UCP. The new party was elected to two majority governments, but that was not the basis of the election platforms.
Nothing regarding loyalty or unity has been added to the party bylaws since either. In November 2025, members approved the latest party bylaws, which do not contain any mention of unity.
Premier Smith has made the “sovereign Alberta within a united Canada” something of a campaign slogan, but it isn’t enshrined in any party documents, nor has it ever been.
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