Although we don’t have any of them on record, it’s not unreasonable to suspect there are at least some separatists within the UCP caucus.

The closest we have to any such declared sentiments is the March op-ed penned by Red Deer MLA Jason Stephan, who urged Albertans to sign Stay Free Alberta’s pro-separatist petition. Stephan subsequently resigned his post as the parliamentary secretary of constitutional affairs.

Premier Danielle Smith has insisted that her cabinet and caucus are onside with her position supporting the “remain a province” option in the Oct. 19 referendum. She has also publicly rebuked the UCP president, who suggested the party would remain neutral on that question.

Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.

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As Smith put it in one interview last week, “Our party had as its founding principles that we support autonomy for Alberta within a united Canada.”

It’s fair to criticize the premier for calling this referendum absent such a mandate, but she can at least fall back on the excuse........

© Calgary Herald