Alberta constitutional affairs adviser Jason Stephan resigns from role

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says Jason Stephan has resigned as the government’s parliamentary adviser on constitutional affairs.

Stephan, the United Conservative Party MLA for Red Deer-South, remains a member of the government caucus, according to the premier’s office. No reason was provided for the resignation, which the office said was submitted earlier this year.

The constitutional affairs advisory role was created by the Alberta government last year and was described at the time as “critically important” to advancing the province’s interests in federal-provincial relations and constitutional matters. Smith’s office did not say whether a replacement will be appointed.

Stephan faced criticism in March after writing an opinion piece encouraging Albertans to sign a petition seeking a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. In the column, Stephan said a referendum vote would send a message to Ottawa over what he described as harmful federal laws and policies, though he stopped short of directly endorsing separation.

The issue drew renewed attention to tensions between Alberta’s United Conservative government and the federal Liberal government on issues including energy policy, provincial autonomy and federal regulation.