Party following and Alberta separation?

People often get caught up in party politics, but that really has nothing to do with Red Deer’s municipal issues. Party politics has no place in municipal government. Yes, every politician has their own personal political leanings, but when they sit at the Council table, their responsibility is to represent all Red Deerians in a non-partisan manner.

Still, I’m happy to answer those questions when they come up. Lately, topics like “separation” and “what party do you belong to” are being raised far more often than they should. Right now, our focus needs to stay on Red Deer and the local challenges we face. The broader question of Alberta’s future is still more than a year away, and a lot can change between now and then. I’ll also be posting this on my website shortly.


QUESTION:

I see you're a die hard Conservative (federal). I won't hold that
against you.😉 I do wonder how far right you lean. i.e. do you support Alberta separation? Y/N

ANSWER:

First of all, I don’t consider myself a “die-hard Conservative” at the federal level. I have voted Conservative, but that was, recently, more about rejecting the Liberals/NDP, who in my view are too focused on social agendas like sexualizing children, overspending taxpayer dollars, and ignoring the voice of the people. I believe you should vote for the candidate whose platform aligns with your values and beliefs, not just because they carry a certain party label. In the last federal election of 2025, I did vote Conservative, but that was more to put an end to Liberal destruction than because I supported our incumbent candidate.

That said, the Conservatives did make a number of points during the campaign and in their platform that I agreed with, though I won’t get into those further here. Looking back, in 2021 I voted Independent, and in 2019 I ran myself as a PPC candidate. Whenever I take the political alignment quizzes, I usually come out right of center with a mix of libertarian and moderate views. Interestingly, when comparing the US quiz results against Canadian parties, AI often places me closest to either the Liberals or the Red Tory wing of the Conservatives, depending on the issue. These days, I prefer to simply call myself a “small-c conservative.”

Your question is not a simple Yes or No answer.

You’re asking a question with a lot of layers. The UCP — who have been the main force behind the idea of “Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada” (at least until Carney started riling them up again) — are United Conservatives, not “die-hard Conservatives.” If they were truly die-hard, they’d be backing Poilievre’s recent comments, which since January have basically called for a united Canada working together as one.

At the same time, the Alberta Prosperity Project, which has really been driving this discussion (and to my knowledge hasn’t even finalized what the actual referendum question would be), is doing what any movement that believes in freedom of choice should do: presenting all the options and educating Albertans on their rights and possible paths forward, rather than shoving a separatist agenda down people’s throats. Personally, I believe Ottawa has taken from the West long enough, and it’s time we stood up for what should be an equal seat at the table.

I consider myself a sovereigntist. By that I mean I believe Alberta has the right to determine its own political destiny — whether that means full separation, a special status within Canada, or simply much greater autonomy. Being a sovereigntist doesn’t mean I’m aggressively pushing for secession; it means I support the principle of Alberta’s self-determination. In short, it’s about affirming Alberta’s right to choose its own future and use the voice it has been denied for the last 100 years, and that position is better understood as principled rather than reactionary.

So, if in the end all you wanted to hear was a Yes or No answer to "Alberta separation from Canada" I would probably say "No". I think we should 'have our cake and eat it too' when it comes to dealing with the Federal Government.

I hope that answered your question,

Kevin M. Klerks
Candidate for Red Deer City Council
www.kevinmklerks.ca