Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says the governing United Conservative Party caucus has “no business” signing a petition to force a vote on the province quitting Canada.

Kenney, in an interview Monday, said the party he helped create in 2017 and lead until 2022, was founded with the principle that it’s committed to a strong Alberta within a united Canada.

“If you’ve run on a platform, let’s say in the 2019 and the last Alberta election — twice under the UCP banner — you have been running as someone who believes in a United Canada,“ Kenney said.

“If that’s how you were elected, you have no business signing a petition to separate the country and I sure hope that’s not the case.”