Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is facing another call for a leadership review from one of her United Conservative Party constituency boards.
Scott Cyr, a backbencher in Smith’s caucus, says the board of his Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul constituency association passed the motion Monday.
Cyr, in a social media post Tuesday, said it passed narrowly — 10 votes to nine — in a secret ballot.
But Cyr said he doesn’t agree with the outcome and that it’s time to rally behind Smith’s leadership.
“With the 2027 provincial election approaching, I am concerned about the consequences of continued internal division within the United Conservative Party,” he wrote.
Cyr’s riding is one of a few to recently call for a review of Smith’s leadership, while others have announced their support for her. The party’s annual general meeting in Calgary is one month away.
Mitch Sylvestre, president of Cyr’s constituency association, is a prominent face in Alberta’s separatist movement.
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Smith is seeking to rein in separatist elements in her party ahead of the next election, set for October 2027.
Sylvestre and others behind the independence push have set their sights on ousting Smith as party leader over her support for keeping Alberta in Canada.
Last week, three-quarters of Alberta voters in a provincewide referendum affirmed they want the province to stay in Canada rather than hold a second, binding referendum on separation.
Smith called the referendum. She said it was necessary to quell a growing debate in Alberta over its role in Confederation. Critics said there was never such a groundswell of separatist sentiment and that Smith called the vote to appease UCP separatists and keep her job.
Smith said she voted to stay in Canada.
After the referendum, she promised there wouldn’t be another separation vote while she’s premier. She said the referendum had settled the debate.
She also urged in-house separatists to find a new home, but Sylvestre has said he’s not going anywhere.
Smith was expected to face questions on the topic later Tuesday, as the legislature was to begin its fall sitting.
The UCP has also lost a legislature member. Backbencher Shane Getson announced Monday he was quitting politics completely and immediately, citing unspecified personal reasons.
Smith’s party now has 46 seats in the legislature. The NDP has 39, and there is one Progressive Tory.
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