Alberta United Conservative Party (UCP) members will debate and vote on numerous policy resolutions at their annual general meeting, including whether to oppose federal net-zero mandates and discontinue the use of land acknowledgements.
Delegates will meet in Calgary from Nov. 27 to 29 to vote on 39 proposals submitted by party members across several constituency associations, with this year’s meeting being held after 75 percent of Albertans voted on Oct. 19 for the province to remain within Canada.
Some of the policies to be voted on at the meeting align with priorities that the Smith government has already pursued—including the push to make Alberta more independent within Canada and expand its natural resource sector—while other policies go further than what she has proposed. Party conventions can be a way for party members to push their leader to take certain policy positions.
One of the resolutions to be voted on by delegates is whether the UCP believes the Alberta government should oppose federal net-zero mandates and review provincial carbon pricing and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) policies.
The Smith government has committed to a 2050 net-zero emissions goal, while Ottawa has committed to reducing emissions 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline, which Ottawa recently classified as a project of national interest, would be paired with a carbon capture project.
Another proposal calls for the government of Alberta, and all publicly funded institutions and agencies, to discontinue the use of land acknowledgments, with the rationale that many Albertans “view these statements as performative, politically compelled, and unnecessarily humiliating.”
There are also proposals for Alberta to clarify the Alberta Human Rights Act so that biological sex is a separate protected ground from gender and gender identity, and for the UCP to adopt policies that “protect the safety and privacy of women and girls in schools and public facilities.” Alberta enacted legislation that took effect September 2025 to regulate categories for female-only divisions and transgender athletes, ensuring that biological men cannot compete in women’s sports leagues.
Another policy is to allow an MLA who leaves their party to sit as an Independent, but require them to resign their seats and win a byelection before joining another party’s caucus. At the federal level, four Conservative MPs and one NDP MP crossed the floor to the Liberals in recent months, giving the party a majority government when combined with subsequent byelection wins.
Other proposals include for Alberta to use all possible legal options to block federal land claims; assert provincial jurisdiction over firearms ownership and use; ensure greater self-sufficiency in essential goods like food and energy; require clear labelling for 3D-printed, lab-grown, or insect-based food products; and protect the principle of voluntary informed consent for medical treatments and procedures, including vaccines.
All the policy resolutions require just over 50 percent of delegates to vote in favour for them to pass, but they are non-binding proposals, so the UCP government will not be required to enact them.
Delegates will also vote on several binding governance resolutions for the UCP, some of which require 75 percent of votes in favour to pass. These include allowing permanent residents to become members, as well as minor changes in wording to some UCP bylaws.
The event will not include a leadership review of Alberta Premier and UCP Leader Danielle Smith, as the majority of UCP constituency associations passed motions in support of her leadership.
Rob Smith, president of the UCP Board of Directors, said in an email to UCP members on Oct. 27 that a meeting to review Danielle Smith’s leadership required motions from 22 constituency associations, but more than 65 associations had instead passed motions in support of her, with more to come.
“That settles it. There will be NO UCP leadership review before our next General Election. Danielle Smith is our leader… today… tomorrow… and the foreseeable future,” the president said.
The most recent UCP leadership review was held in 2024, in which Smith received 91.5 percent support from the 4,633 members who voted.
The province will be holding an election in 2027.
