Alberta UCP elects Danielle Smith as new leader

Oct 11, 2022

She will be sworn in as Alberta’s new premier on Tuesday

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Danielle Smith will officially become Alberta’s next premier on Tuesday.

The ceremony is expected to begin around 11 a.m. local time.

Smith won the United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership on Oct. 6 and became Premier-designate with more than 53 per cent of the votes in the sixth round of preferential voting.

“Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Alberta story,” she said during her victory speech. “It is time for Alberta to take its place as a senior partner in building a strong and unified Canada.”

Outgoing Premier Jason Kenney announced his resignation in May after UCP members voted 51.4 per cent in support of his leadership.

The topic of unity emerged during the campaign as a key focus of whomever became the new UCP leader.

Alberta’s next general election is in May 2023, and a united party is necessary to help ensure a victory, said Nate Horner, Alberta’s minister of agriculture.

“I think the will is here. I can’t speak for everybody, but I think people realize that there is a real short runway to a general election,” he said, Drumheller Online reported. “We’ve been through a lot as a team, the province is in a great place, the economy is really set to take off leading the country in most metrics, but there's still a lot of work to do. I think everybody just wants the team to get together, focus on the task at hand, and prepare for what will be a very competitive election in the spring."

Horner may not be the minister of agriculture for much longer.

Smith is expected to name her cabinet on Oct. 21, and Horner endorsed Travis Toews for the UCP leadership.

The Rural Municipalities of Alberta welcomed the premier-designate.

“The RMA looks forward to working closely with Premier-designate Smith to address rural municipal priorities and ensure rural Alberta continues to be the province’s economic engine,” the organization said on Oct. 7. “The RMA has a strong relationship with the UCP and has worked closely with many current ministers and MLAs on important issues in recent years, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative relationship with Premier-designate Smith and her Cabinet.”

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.