Make of this what you will: In Monday’s unity referendum the separatist option received an almost identical share of the popular vote in Alberta as Justin Trudeau did the first time he won election in 2015.

Trudeau won 24.6 per cent of Alberta votes, the separatists (as of noon on Tuesday) had 24.5 per cent.

GUNTER: Alberta separatism as unpopular as Justin Trudeau Back to video

I think it says something about the separatist movement if it is only as popular in the province as the much-hated Justin Trudeau.

And don’t even dream of comparing separatist support to support for the Carney Liberals in Alberta. They’re close to 33 per cent.

The simple fact is the separatists got trounced in Monday’s vote.

That should keep them quiet for a while, but they have already promised it won’t.

They still intend to take over the annual convention of the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) at the end of November and maybe, just maybe force a leadership review on Premier Danielle Smith, who prominent separatist Jeffery Rath denounced as an “avowed federalist.”

Smith won 91.5 per cent support for her leadership at the UCP convention........

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