Grassroots members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party (UCP) are proposing dozens of new policies, including reintroducing coal power and making temporary residents pay for health care. 

Lori Williams, a Mount Royal University political science professor, told the Canadian Press that governing remains a challenge for Danielle Smith due to her “well-organized, motivated base.”

Smith's leadership, she said, has successfully balanced competing interests. "If you appeal to an angry base but fail to deliver on expectations, that anger can turn against you," she warned.

Though not bound by the results of the upcoming UCP policy vote on Nov. 28, ignoring the results risks damaging Premier Smith's popularity with party members.

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Danielle Smith pushes back against the federal Liberals' goal of 'net-zero' electricity generation by 2030.

The premier says that's way too quick of a transition, noting the province's goal is to be carbon neutral by 2050. pic.twitter.com/dpAXq1ler4

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 4, 2025

Among energy policy debates include proposals to scrap 'net-zero' emissions strategies and reintroduce coal power, despite the last coal plant phasing out in 2024.

The Taber-Warner constituency's resolution claimed Canadian-mined coal is "clean," arguing that phasing it out merely shifts its use abroad. Canadian coal exports hit 8.2 million tonnes in 2022, up from 2.4 million tonnes in 2015, according to Blacklock’s.

Proponents called cutting the most affordable energy, "clean coal," a mistake. Smith's 2024 ban on coal-powered electricity preceded federal targets; the 2021 Liberal platform had promised to ban thermal coal exports by 2030.

When Rebel News asked Smith in 2023 about keeping Alberta's coal plants open to lower electricity costs, she responded that the province's power generation is "based principally on natural gas" due to a "very aggressive" transition.

She prioritized reliability and affordability over emissions reduction, saying the latter "has to happen at the industrial level."

Alberta Next panel considers withholding social services for immigrants

Premier Danielle Smith attributes 'unrestricted' immigration to housing shortages, strains on essential services, and societal divisions in the province.https://t.co/GGI1d6BQ41

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 26, 2025

Health care is also a common policy concern, with some UCP members proposing to stop publicly funding care for temporary residents. 

A Calgary-Buffalo motion argues that federal "unsustainable immigration policies" are straining Alberta's health system, suggesting care prioritize citizens, permanent residents, and approved refugees.

“Excluding temporary residents and other non-status individuals ensures equitable distribution of increasingly constrained resources,” reads the motion.

Premier Danielle Smith, in her address to the Province, calls out Trudeau's mass immigration policy and mentions its harmful effects to Albertans and Canadians. pic.twitter.com/i9nLSbiMhb

— Efrain Flores Monsanto 🇨🇦🚛 (@efloresmonsanto) September 18, 2024

Smith considered a referendum to withhold social services from non-permanent residents, an idea she debated over the summer, per June media reports. She blames "unrestricted" immigration for housing shortages, strained services, and societal division. Conservative delegates back her call for stricter immigration control.

Danielle Smith doesn't say if the creation of a new provincial police force is a step towards "making it more conducive" for Alberta's independence.

The premier emphasizes the new law enforcement agency will ensure rural communities get the response times from police that they… pic.twitter.com/6B2Hl0XLyu

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 2, 2025

Another resolution urges the province to purchase the RCMP's Alberta operations and assets, including the right to employ its officers, to facilitate the establishment of a provincial police force.

Smith announced on July 2 that Calgary will host the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service, Alberta's new provincial police force. She clarified it will not replace the RCMP or other police services.

Municipalities can contract local policing from a new service of roughly 2,000 sheriffs (650 fully trained), potentially replacing the RCMP if they withdraw.