Calgary hosts ‘largest ever’ UCP annual general meeting

It’s being touted as the largest annual general meeting in Alberta’s history — as nearly 4,000 people packed Calgary’s BMO Centre for the United Conservative Party’s yearly gathering.

There was no shortage of topics to talk about, with some ideas at the forefront.

Premier Danielle Smith’s speech included promises to fight the federal government, Alberta’s energy resources, affordability, and parental rights.

“I want every parent listening today to hear me loud and clear — parents are the primary caregivers and educators of their children,” she told the crowd, which responded with loud applause.,

Smith went on to say the extreme life is undermining the role of parents, and that the provincial government will stand up to it

“We cannot have a successful province or a successful society without strong and nurturing families and regardless of how often the extreme left undermines the role of parents, I want you to know that parental rights and choice in your child’s education is and will continue to be a fundamental, core principle of this party and this government and we will never apologize for it,” she added.

The premier’s speech took place prior to delegates voting on roughly 30 resolutions, where a sea of green ‘yes’ signs would show their approval.

Passed was a motion requiring parental consent is a child under the age of 16 wants to use a different name or pronoun as school, the right to refuse any medical procedure, including vaccines or therapy, and many other policies.

There was also conversation about ending provincial funding of supervised drug consumption sites and refusing transgender women in women’s correctional centres, among many other policies.

Smith also said announcements on healthcare are in the near future.

“So, please stay tuned as our government will have more to say on this in the coming weeks on health reforms that will decentralize decision making and resources from AHS down to the frontlines, exactly where it should be,” she said.

Despite the strong approval, the resolutions don’t mean the government will go ahead with it.

The large turnout is believed to have been amplified by the group known as Take Back Alberta, with the group’s founder online calling the event a massive success, saying the event over the weekend was the beginning of a “new age” in Alberta.

“May Alberta be forever strong and free,” Smith said.