Hunter disputes Republican Party list displaying MLA support for separatism

Posted on April 16, 2026 by admin

By Trevor Busch
Westwind Weekly News
editor@tabertimes.com

Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter has strongly affirmed his support for Alberta as part of a unified Canada.

Hunter, who also serves as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, was responding to a list of 18 UCP “MLAs Supporting Independence” posted to the Republican Party of Alberta’s website which included his name and appeared to indicate his support for Alberta separatism.  

“I’ve never spoken to anybody in the Republican Party. I’ve never signed up for any newsletters. I’ve never engaged with them at all,” said Hunter. “I am a proud United Conservative Party member. I believe in our party and what our background, our founding principles are, which really have always been about building a strong Alberta within Canada and that will be my stance, and I’ve been very clear on that.”

While clarifying his opinion about Alberta’s status as part of Canada, Hunter was supportive of letting the democratic process play out with regard to the separatist movement.

“My stance is extremely clear – I believe in building up a strong, sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, and so I’m sad to see what’s happening on both sides of this thing. You’ve got people on the one side that are lighting their hair on fire coming straight out and condemning the people who are for separatism – conservatives aren’t the ones who cancel other people. That’s more of something you see on the left. And so we don’t cancel people for their differing views. We believe in a free, open society that actually can have robust discussions on these issues. And so that’s their right to do that. (But) I’m also a bit disappointed with people on the separatist side as well that are calling my office and saying, ‘Grant has to declare, one side or the other.’ And I’m very clear on that one as well. I believe that Albertans get to choose, to decide the path forward, and I don’t think that it’s my responsibility or my right to influence them one way or the other. There will be lots of robust debate on this issue, and I look forward to that robust discussion, but I am, as a politician, an influencer, and I don’t think that I should influence this issue. The premier has been very clear on this as well. She said, ‘Look, that’s not what we’re going to do. We’re not going to influence it one way or the other.’ She’s not going to sign, I’m not going to sign a petition on one side or the other of this issue. We’ll let Albertans decide this. And for those who say you should weigh in on it, I actually find that extremely hypocritical, because I’ve heard those same people say, ‘Stop sticking your long arm down our short pocket. Get government out of the way.’ And now they’re saying they want us to start doing that. I just find it odd.”

Other Southern Alberta UCP MLAs were included as part of the Republican Party list as in support of Alberta independence, including Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsea Petrovic, Cardston-Siksika MLA Joseph Schow (Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration) Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright, and Calgary-Hays MLA Ric McIver who currently serves as Speaker of the House. Schow and McIver have since disavowed any association with the list created by the RPA.

Hunter said it was unclear how the RPA could have suggested his endorsement of Alberta independence, and criticized the veracity of the information included in the list as a gross misrepresentation. 

“I have no idea – I really don’t. Again, let’s be clear: Can you imagine the Speaker of the House as being a separatist? It is completely crazy thinking, so I don’t know where they came up with this. I will tell you that them putting this information up on their website is – I don’t know whether or not they’re breaching a law or not, but it is certainly misrepresentation because I’ve never talked to them. I guess if I had a nickel for every time someone misrepresented me, I would be a rich man today.”

Hunter says he is focused on improving the lives of Albertans and the local economy, not trying to influence the political views of voters for or against provincial independence.

“I’m going to continue to focus on what I was elected to do. I’m going to continue to build out this agrifood processing corridor between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. That is a very tangible needle-moving thing that I can do, that I can help facilitate for future generations, for our children and grandchildren, and that will be multi-generations in the future where that work will really matter, and all the other things, all the other stuff that just keeps on coming up. Look, guys, let Albertans make those decisions about which way we go, but I can actually make a difference when it comes to their economic well-being in this region by focusing on that. Let me focus on that, and then I will focus as the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas on the mandate that has been given to me by the premier in that respect. And that is a lot of work. I can tell you that it takes a lot of my time. It’s just something that Albertans are going to have to work through, and work through without my influence.”