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Preston Manning ‘baffled’ by those who view Danielle Smith as an Alberta separatist

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Digital, G. (2026, September 16). Preston Manning ‘baffled’ by those who view Danielle Smith as an Alberta separatist. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/12061926/preston-manning-danielle-smith-alberta-separatist/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Global News · collected 2026-09-16 · by Globalnews Digital

Quick Summary

Preston Manning, former federal opposition leader and founder of the Reform Party, expressed confusion over opinions outside Alberta that label Premier Danielle Smith as anti-Canada due to her advocacy for a strong provincial identity within the country. At an event promoting a virtual forum he is co-hosting on September 19, Manning highlighted Smith’s long-standing support for a united Canada while also addressing the upcoming October 19 referendum in Alberta, which includes questions about potential separation and constitutional issues related to immigration and provincial sovereignty.
Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Preston Manning, a former federal opposition leader and founder of the Reform Party, expressed confusion over opinions that label Danielle Smith, Alberta's Premier, as anti-Canada or separatist. Despite polls outside Alberta suggesting such views, Manning highlighted Smith’s long-standing support for a strong Alberta within Canada. He announced that Smith would speak at a virtual two-day forum he is co-hosting next week, where she will discuss Alberta's continued growth and sovereignty as part of Canada. Smith has scheduled a referendum for October 19 to decide whether Alberta should remain in Canada or pursue another binding referendum on separation. Manning himself emerged from voter dissatisfaction with Ottawa’s perceived neglect of Western Canada during the late 1980s, founding the Reform Party in response.

Written for “Preston Manning On Danielle Smith” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Preston Manning On Danielle Smith
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
If most Albertans don't want to leave Canada, where is the pro-Canada movement? Different event
CBC News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 10 of 59 claims Outlet record 74/100
“The articles discuss different aspects related to Alberta's political climate but do not describe the same specific incident.”
UCP riding group demands leadership review as separatist leader criticizes Danielle Smith's unity stance Different event
CBC News
Hedges 2 of 46 claims Outlet record 74/100
“Article A discusses Preston Manning's reaction to perceptions of Danielle Smith as an Alberta separatist, while Article B reports on a UCP riding group demanding a leadership review regarding Premier Smith’s stance.”
‘Why walk away?’: Emotional Danielle Smith speaks against separation at online forum Different event
Global News
Hedges 1 of 33 claims Outlet record 63/100
“While both articles discuss Preston Manning's virtual forum and Danielle Smith's speech against separatism, they describe different stages of the event - Article A announces the upcoming forum, while Article B reports on Smith's emotional speech at the actual forum.”
Smith makes case for Alberta in united Canada ahead of referendum Different event
The Globe and Mail
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 1 of 33 claims Outlet record 52/100
“While both articles mention Preston Manning and Danielle Smith's involvement in events related to Alberta's place within Canada, they describe different occurrences: Article A refers to an upcoming forum next week, while Article B describes a virtual assembly that has already occurred on Saturday.”
Danielle Smith speaks about potential separation Different event
The Globe and Mail
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 52/100
“Article A refers to an upcoming virtual forum where Danielle Smith will speak, while Article B describes a speech that Smith has already given at a different event.”
'Why walk away?': Emotional Danielle Smith speaks against separation at online forum Different event
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 34 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A mentions an upcoming forum where Smith will speak next week but does not describe the actual event. Article B describes the actual event that happened on Saturday.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
63/100
Global News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-17 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Global News · 2622 article(s) · 11 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 11 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Globalnews Digital
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Topics

Alberta Albertans Canada Conservative anti-Canada

Subjects

Alberta GPE · 6× Smith PERSON · 5× Albertans NORP · 3× Canada GPE · 3× Manning PERSON · 2× Confederation ORG · 1× Conservative NORP · 1× Danielle Smith PERSON · 1× Preston Manning PERSON · 1× anti-Canada NORP · 1×

Narrative

Manning, who is 84, is the former federal opposition leader and founder of the Reform Party — a political movement in Western Canada that grew out of voter dissatisfaction with Ottawa and the perceived lack of attention that was being paid to the west in the late 1980s.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17
🔮 He says Canadians will get a renewed look at Smith when she speaks at a virtual two-day forum he is co-hosting next week.
2026-09-17 · Global News
Preston Manning ‘baffled’ by those who view Danielle Smith as an Alberta separatist · assertive framing

Claims (14 extracted, 0 hedged)

Conservative elder statesman Preston Manning says he’s baffled some view Alberta Premier Danielle Smith as anti-Canada given her vocal support of Confederation. asserted
some → say → Confederation
Manning says he seen opinion polls outside Alberta that suggest that many see her as a separatist. asserted
many → say → separatist
But he says, for years, there has been no one more vocal in speaking out for a strong Alberta and a united Canada. asserted
he → say → Alberta
He says Canadians will get a renewed look at Smith when she speaks at a virtual two-day forum he is co-hosting next week. asserted
he → say → forum
He said Smith will discuss Alberta continuing to grow as a strong and sovereign province within Canada. asserted
Alberta → say → Canada
Smith has called a referendum for Oct. 19 on whether Alberta should remain in Canada or whether it’s time to hold a second, binding referendum on starting the legal process to separate. asserted
it → call → process
Manning, who is 84, is the former federal opposition leader and founder of the Reform Party — a political movement in Western Canada that grew out of voter dissatisfaction with Ottawa and the perceived lack of attention that was being paid to the west in the late 1980s. asserted
that → grow → 1980s
Get breaking National news He made his comments Wednesday at an event to promote the upcoming forum, which is titled “Alberta and the West Assembly” and begins Sept. 19. asserted
which → get → forum
The event will hear from groups for and against secession and is meant to inform Alberta voters looking for information the referendum. asserted
event → hear → information
The separation question is one of 10 Albertans will vote on. asserted
Albertans → vote → 10
The other nine focus on immigration and the Constitution. asserted
nine → focus → immigration
Smith called the referendum earlier this year. asserted
Smith → call → referendum
She has said enough Albertans now view separation as a legitimate response to federal interference in provincial affairs that it’s time to put the issue to rest once and for all in a vote. asserted
it → say → vote
Critics, including the Opposition NDP, say Smith is inflating and legitimizing the grievances of a small sliver of discontented Albertans in order to mollify hardline separatists in her United Conservative party. asserted
Smith → include → party
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