As Alberta Premier Danielle Smith prepares to address the province, the man behind the independence push that led to Monday’s vote has his own message for her.
asserted
that → prepare → her
“You made a choice.
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You → make → choice
You made a choice.
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You → make → choice
You’re going to possibly have to suffer the consequences.”
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You → go → consequences
Mitch Sylvestre told the Star on Tuesday as he drove from Edmonton to his home in Bonnyville, Alta.
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he → tell → Bonnyville
Such a warning is just one example of the furor directed at Smith, particularly from independence supporters who see her decision to back remaining in Canada as a betrayal of the party’s base, many of whom support independence.
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many → direct → independence
When Smith speaks at 8:45 p.m. EDT, she will do so to a province divided by the referendum but united in its anger: some resent that the vote happened at all, while others are angry that she chose Canada’s side.
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she → speak → side
Even when the premier joined Prime Minister Mark Carney at a brewery outside Red Deer, Alta., last week to meet federalist supporters and organizers, her efforts to campaign for Alberta remaining in Canada did little to persuade those in the crowd.
“I was told, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything,” said Sue Peters, a 45-year resident of Red Deer.
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Peters → join → Deer
Speaking to the Star on Tuesday, Sylvestre candidly admitted he’s had better days.
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he → speak → days
He travelled a long road to Monday’s vote, first criss-crossing the province to collect more than 300,000 signatures from Albertans who felt there was nothing left for Canada to offer after decades of perceived grievance.
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Canada → travel → grievance
So seeing his side garner only about 24 per cent of the vote, despite hundreds of town halls and thousands of volunteer hours devoted to the cause, isn’t sitting well.
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side → see → cause
The federalist side won roughly 75 per cent.
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side → win → cent
“I was expecting way better,” he said.
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he → expect → better
At least 40 per cent, Sylvestre said.
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Sylvestre → say → ?
He points the finger at mail-in ballots, hundreds of thousands of which poured into Elections Alberta.
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thousands → point → Alberta
That happened in part because Smith’s United Conservative Party government previously eased access to mail-in ballots to make that form of voting more convenient.
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form → happen → voting
Federalist organizers also urged supporters to vote early, warning that if they stayed home, separatists could secure a binding referendum vote.
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separatists → urge → vote
The strategy paid off.
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strategy → pay → ?
“I don’t accept them as they’re reported now,” Sylvestre said of the results, “but I have no proof otherwise.
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I → accept → proof
So, you know what?
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you → know → what
I’m just going to wait and see what happens.”
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what → go → ?
Federalist campaigns were also waiting Tuesday afternoon to see what would happen next.
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what → wait → ?
While celebrating an overwhelming victory against holding a binding referendum on separation, they were also watching the results of nine other questions proposing greater provincial control over immigration and constitutional reform.
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they → celebrate → immigration
As unofficial results showed Smith’s proposed immigration reforms winning, including a question requiring proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections, a spokesperson for a federalist group opposed to the measures took comfort in the narrower margins on some other questions.
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spokesperson → show → questions
“I don’t think it’s as clear a mandate as she may suggest it is,” said Avnish Nanda, who leads Our Alberta Advantage, a referendum initiative launched by the Alberta Advantage Immigrant Support Society.
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who → think → Society
“I want her to call an election,” he said.
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he → want → election
With the referendum over, United Conservatives will turn their attention to two matters: the next provincial election, set for 2027, and preparations for next month’s annual gathering of UCP members in Calgary.
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Conservatives → turn → Calgary
Sylvestre presides over the UCP’s riding association in Bonnyville.
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Sylvestre → preside → Bonnyville
While he has yet to call a meeting on whether the board will vote to trigger a special leadership review of Smith, he predicts it will.
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it → have → Smith
At least 22 of the party’s riding associations would have to vote to hold a review of Smith’s leadership for a vote to actually happen.
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vote → have → leadership
Such was the process Sylvestre and others used to oust party founder and former Alberta premier Jason Kenney over his handling of COVID-19.
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Sylvestre → use → COVID-19
Asked whether he was prepared to organize against Smith, Sylvestre said “it’s a little soon.”
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it → ask → Smith
He said whatever happens next is in the hands of the party’s boards.
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happens → say → boards
But, he said, independence supporters across the party base are “livid.”
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supporters → say → base
“Danielle’s crossed the floor already once, so you know as far as we’re concerned, she’s done it again, and you know I don’t think there’s a strike three here.”
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I → cross → it
The Aporia
