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Alberta byelection results show weak separatist support despite poll numbers
EDMONTON – Alberta’s three provincial byelections have delivered a clear message on separatism, with pro-independence parties at the bottom of the vote counts, even failing to crack 18 per cent support in their stronghold of Olds-Didsbury-Three-Hills. The votes, counted Monday night, saw separatist candidates finish last in all contests while mainstream parties claimed decisive victories.
The NDP won both urban Edmonton seats decisively, with Gurtej Singh Brar capturing Edmonton-Ellerslie with 61.2 per cent of votes and Naheed Nenshi taking Edmonton-Strathcona with 78.5 per cent support. In rural Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, UCP candidate Tara Sawyer won with 67.9 per cent of ballots cast.
Separatist candidates struggled throughout. The Republican Party of Alberta managed just 3.4 per cent support in Edmonton-Ellerslie, while separatist candidates in Edmonton-Strathcona received less than 1 per cent combined. Even in the most separatist-friendly riding of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, the votes for parties advocating independence reached only 17.5 per cent.
These results stand in stark contrast to recent polls that suggested nearly 30 per cent of Albertans support exploring separation. The weak showing comes 26 years after the Supreme Court’s Clarity Act ruling that requires a “clear majority” for any province to leave Confederation, a threshold very clearly not approached in these contests.
Political observers note the results suggest most Albertans prefer working within Canada despite ongoing frustrations with federal policies. The three winning candidates are expected to be sworn in when the legislature resumes sitting.
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