Alberta Politics: UCP & NDP Clash Over Canada Unity

0:00It's March 31st. This is Canada News Today, Local News Powered by AI. Alberta's political scene heated up Monday with premier Daniel Smith and her United Conservative Party, insisting they love Canada and wanted. United. The opposition new Democratic Party head back, accusing the UCP of hiding separatists after one of their own lawmakers pushed a petition for an end. Independence referendum. This all spied from UCP backbenture Jason Stephens, recent column in the Western standard, urging folks to sign up for vote on leaving Canada. In the legislature, municipal affairs minister Dan Williams fired back at the NDP, saying they've sung the national anthem together and questioning their patriotism. NDP deputy leader Rocky Pancholy called the UCP a separatist party outright and demanded Stefan get booted from caucus. Williams flipped it, challenging the NDP's loyalty to Alberta over their new federal leader, Abby Lewis, who's against pipelines, something even Alberta.

1:02NDP boss, Nihid Nenshi, is pushing back on. At a separate news conference, Smith drew a line, saying elected officials shouldn't lead citizen petitions like that, though she supports democratic processes. Nenshi shot down her stance, pointing to how she kicked out a backbenture last year for budget gripes, while separatists stay put. Tensions keep simmering between the parties, with loyalty to Canada and Alberta front and center in the fight.