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Preston Manning: Will Premier Smith Have the Last Word on the Best Path Forward for Alberta and Canada?

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Preston Manning: Will Premier Smith Have the Last Word on the Best Path Forward for Alberta and Canada?
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to the media at a meeting of western premiers in Kananaskis, Alta., on May 25, 2026. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh
Preston Manning
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Commentary
Alberta’s Premier Smith—leader of a government with annual revenues of $75+ billion, a majority in the provincial legislature, and leading her closest political opponent by 13–17 points according to a recent poll—on May 21 announced the addition of a tenth question to her proposed Oct. 19 referendum ballot.
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Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Author
Preston Manning served as a member of the Canadian Parliament from 1993 to 2001, and as leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2000. He founded two political parties: the Reform Party of Canada and the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance. Both of these became the Official Opposition in Parliament and led to the creation of the Conservative Party of Canada, which formed the federal government from 2004–2015.