The Alberta government will add a referendum question asking Albertans whether the province should remain in Canada to the province’s planned October vote.
In an address Thursday night, Premier Danielle Smith said the question would be included alongside previously announced referendum items dealing with constitutional and immigration issues.
She said the question is intended to address ongoing debate in the province over Alberta’s future within Canada.
“Last week an Alberta judge released a decision finding that the Citizen Initiative petition organized by the group Stay Free Alberta on the issue of Alberta separation is unconstitutional because in the judge’s view there was not adequate consultation done with the First Nations band about the potential effect of the petition on their treaty rights,” Smith said. “This ruling fundamentally misinterprets the nature of the duty to consult, which was never meant to prevent citizens from making their voices heard through a democratic process.”
Smith said the provincial government plans to appeal the court ruling and is prepared to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Canada if necessary.
However, she said the legal process could take months or years, prompting the government to add the question: “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?” to the October ballot.
Smith said her government supports Alberta remaining within Confederation and said she personally would vote for Alberta to remain in Canada. However, she argued Albertans should have an opportunity to express their views amid growing separatist sentiment.
The premier said the addition of the question would not directly trigger separation. Instead, she said a successful vote would direct the provincial government to begin the legal process required to hold a binding referendum on separation, which she argued would make the recent court ruling inapplicable.
“This question will also ensure the 700,000 signatories to both the Forever Canadian petition and the Stay Free Alberta petition are respected, and the will of Albertans is heard,” Smith said. “Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society.”
Smith also said she believes those advocating for separation “love our province profoundly,” but have lost confidence their families can succeed in Canada.
She urged Albertans who support a united Canada not to “fall into the trap of using division and demonization tactics against our fellow Albertans with whom we disagree on this matter.”
“Instead of attacking these loyal Albertans, let’s work together to restore hope in their country again.”
The premier also called for Albertans to work together to hold the federal government accountable for implementing the Alberta-Ottawa Energy Deal and supporting a pipeline to the West Coast.
Smith’s announcement follows a legislature committee meeting earlier this week in which government members recommended adding a question on Alberta remaining in Canada to the Oct. 19 referendum ballot.
The recommendation stemmed from the “Forever Canadian” citizen initiative petition launched by former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk.
Shortly after the premier’s announcement, Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi posted on social media: “Danielle Smith’s separatist referendum puts us all at risk, but we cannot let our fears and anxieties take hold. We will not stand by and let the extremists who run the Premier also run this province.”
The referendum is scheduled for Oct. 19 and already includes nine proposed questions dealing with immigration, provincial powers and constitutional reform.
