A group advocating for Alberta independence has released a proposed question it wants to put to a vote in a provincial referendum.
The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a sovereignty advocacy group, has released a potential question to be put in a separation referendum.
“Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a Sovereign Country and cease to be a province of Canada?” reads the question, posted by the group on social media on May 12.
The group has been gauging Albertans’ intent to vote “yes” in a referendum for the province’s independence for a while, with 240,000 pledges as of May 12. The group aims to gather 1 million pledges to vote in favour of a referendum, more than the roughly 600,000 signatures a citizen-led petition would need under current legislation to qualify as a provincial referendum.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said last week that while she does not support secession, she would uphold the democratic process if a separation question meets the requirements to trigger a referendum.
The province recently proposed changes to referendum rules through Bill 54, which would lower the number of signatures required from more than 600,000 to 177,000, and extend the collection period from 90 to 120 days. The bill received second reading on May 7.
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The premier has said her decision to follow the democratic process is intended to allow Albertans to express their views, noting that many of them were “deeply frustrated” after the federal Liberals, who she previously said have “overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years,” secured a fourth term.
When asked whether she would put APP’s question on a ballot to Albertans, the premier did not comment on the proposed question, but said she would wait until Bill 54 passes and the timelines are clear.
“I know that there are several groups out there that are proposing different timelines, different questions, and so I’ll wait to see which one garners enough signatures and actually gets a petition campaign going,” she said at an unrelated press conference on May 12.
“But I’ve made my position clear. I support a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, and it’s my job to see if we can get a new deal with Ottawa, so that I can convince more Albertans to feel the same.”
Smith’s efforts to negotiate for the benefit of her province include forming a team to work with Ottawa on key demands such as removing federal policies that the province says restrict oil and gas development, and setting up an expert panel to explore ideas for Alberta’s future.
For a province to be considered for secession negotiations with Ottawa, the House of Commons must determine whether the referendum posed a “clear question” before the vote, and whether the result reflected a “clear majority” in favour of separation, according to the Clarity Act. The legislation came about in response to Quebec’s independence referendum of 1995.
Petition Question
The co-founders of the APP earlier this year announced they were planning a delegation to Washington to gauge U.S. support for the province’s independence. They said their main goal was to pursue independence, and that the possible question of joining the United States—amid repeated suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump for Canada to become a part of the United States—would be addressed later.
The purpose of a referendum on Alberta’s separation is to “empower” the province to negotiate new terms for the province’s “sovereign relationship in regards to Canada,” according to the APP.
The organization argues there is an “imbalance of power” between Ottawa and the province, resulting in the “progressive federal usurpation of Alberta’s wealth and restriction of our civil liberties.”
It also holds that the province would benefit from sovereignty by having full control over the province’s resources and creating its own fiscal and taxation policies. It also says a sovereign Alberta would attract more investment “by offering stability, a business-friendly environment, and clear regulatory frameworks.”
Smith has maintained her position that the province should stay a part of Canada, and that she would continue to push to ensure Alberta’s interests are met.
“We’re leading the effort to have a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, and that would be what I would be advocating for,” Smith said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has highlighted the importance of national unity in response to discussions about a potential separation referendum in Alberta.
“Canada is stronger when we work together,” Carney told reporters in French at an unrelated press conference in Washington on May 6. “I am Albertan. I proudly believe in Canada. So one can ask the question, but for me the answer is clear.”
