With separatists pushing for a referendum on leaving Canada, Alberta's leader has offered a vote on holding a vote. Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans will vote Oct. 19 on whether the province should remain in Canada or trigger the constitutional process for a binding separation referendum. "It's time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on," she said in a televised address Thursday, adding that she personally will vote to stay in Canada and "not give up on our beautiful country" while pushing for stronger provincial powers, Politico reports.
- Smith said the question will be: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"
Earlier this month, separatists submitted more than 300,000 signatures in an effort to trigger a referendum, but the petition was thrown out by a judge who said organizers had failed to consult First Nations people on treaty rights. "I, as premier, will not have a legal mistake by a single judge silence the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans," Smith said in her address. "That's not the Alberta way." She noted that the appeals process could take years. "Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate," she said.
- Polls indicate most Albertans still favor staying in Canada, and Smith insists her United Conservative Party's stance is to build "a strong and sovereign Alberta" within a united Canada. She said the province's position has improved since Mark Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau as prime minister last year.
- Ottawa's response has been cautious so far. Dominic LeBlanc, speaking for the federal government, said Canada works best "when we work together," pointing to joint energy projects as proof. Business groups are less diplomatic: the Canadian Chamber of Commerce warned that prolonged uncertainty over separation could chill investment and hurt economic growth.
- Smith's announcement drew criticism from both sides of the debate, the CBC reports. "Leadership is about making difficult decisions for the good of the country, even when from time to time they are not popular with your own political base," said former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, backer of a rival pro-Canada petition that has gained more than 400,000 signatures.
- Jeff Rath, legal counsel for Stay Free Alberta, a separatist group, accused Smith of dealing the referendum question "from the bottom of the deck." "To hell with 301,620 Albertans who were promised a vote on their question," he wrote on social media. "Let's have a referendum on having a referendum. Danielle Smith just lost her base!" Another secessionist group has held high-level talks with Trump administration officials.
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