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By Jordan King
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she will hold a referendum on the province's independence from Canada next year if a petition gets the required number of signatures.
"Should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade, ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide," she said during a livestream address on Monday, adding, "I will accept their judgement."
It comes after a stirring of separatist sentiment in the province, especially after the Liberal Party won the Canadian election last week.
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Newsweek recently spoke to Albertan politicians who support independence, who painted a general picture of frustration with the direction of the national government.
Why It Matters
Smith's announcement marks one of the most serious recent threats to Canadian unity, echoing past separatist movements in Quebec, where an independence referendum was narrowly defeated in 1995.
Alberta, home to Canada's oil sands and a longstanding grievance over energy policies, has frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government, especially over issues like carbon taxes, pipeline regulations and equalization payments.
What To Know
Smith said Alberta would take immediate steps toward greater autonomy and laid the groundwork for a potential vote on independence if federal negotiations fail.
Her government is planning to put together a negotiation team to try and bring an end to federal policies. She will also chair an "Alberta Next" panel set to host multiple town halls for Albertans to voice their grievances.
"We don't ask for special treatment or handouts," she said. "We just want to be free to develop and export that incredible wealth of resources we have. Freedom to choose how we provide health care, education and other needed social services to our people, even if it's done differently than what Ottawa has in mind."
She has already met with the new prime minister, Mark Carney, and said he "had some promising things to say about changing the direction of his government's anti-resources policies."
Smith's government has recently proposed legislation, Bill 54, to try and reduce the bar petitioners must meet in order to trigger a provincial referendum.
If passed, Bill 54 would half the threshold for a citizen-led referendum from 20 percent to 10 percent of people who voted in the last election and extend the number of days applicants have to collect the required 177,000 signatures from 90 days to 120 days.
An early April poll carried out by the Angus Reid Institute found that three in 10 Albertans would vote to leave the Canadian federation.
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What People Are Saying
Cameron Davies, head of the independence-supporting Republican Party of Alberta, told Newsweek: "Albertans keep working harder while getting less in return.
"I watched the UCP fold time and again under Ottawa's pressure instead of standing up for Alberta's interests. It became clear to me that we need a new path forward—one that puts Albertans first, always."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has long advocated for more provincial autonomy but has not expressed explicit support for independence. "I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada," she has said previously.
Political scientist John Soroski, at MacEwan University in Edmonton, told the Associated Press: "These grievances are serious. I think the prospects of separation are highly unlikely. I don't see that Smith wants separation, but I think it's very useful for the province to have in its back pocket the idea that there's this large number of discontented Albertans."
What Happens Next
It is not yet known whether enough signatures will be gathered to actually hold an independence referendum or whether the threat of this is enough to propel successful negotiations with Ottawa.
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