SAY ANYTHING The UCP tells separatists one thing behind closed doors and the rest of Alberta something entirely different in public. So what does the party actually believe? Apparently, whatever the people in the room want to hear. The president of the UCP’s provincial board publicly stated that Premier Danielle Smith told him the government’s $4-million “Support Canada” campaign would remain as neutral as possible on separation and would not take a position in the referendum. Now the Premier says his account is untrue. She insists she is pro-Canada, will vote to remain in Canada and that the campaign will support Canada. So what is the truth? Either the president of the UCP publicly misrepresented what the Premier told him, or the Premier told him what he wanted to hear and is now backpedalling. This is the fundamental problem with the UCP: it is a party without conviction. When the audience is separatist, they’re separatists. When the audience is federalist, they declare their love for Canada. They will say anything to anyone, in any room, at any time. It’s all about power and control and whatever they need to do to maintain it. That is why no one can say with certainty where this government truly stands. I cannot tell you whether the UCP is a separatist party or a federalist party. Quite frankly, I’m not convinced they know or care. What is clear is that they have repeatedly empowered separatists, made deals with them and kept their dream alive, while reassuring everyone else that there is nothing to worry about. Now the president of their own provincial board has exposed the contradiction, and the Premier is publicly denying his account. This is what happens when you tell different people different stories: eventually, someone repeats what you told them. Albertans deserve a government with the conviction to say what it believes and the integrity to say the same thing in every room. #abpoli #alberta #abtory #canada #ucp #ableg