In the long-running Alberta-Ottawa barn dance, there’s rarely been a weirder clash of contradictions than the current standoff over Premier Danielle Smith’s referendum question. Prime Minister Mark Carney has waved the Clarity Act, threatening to halt the province’s secession push.
Carney's Strong Rebuke
“This is a very dangerous bluff,” Carney said Monday, delivering a powerful put-down of Smith’s referendum question. More consequential was his statement that Ottawa will review the two-pronged question to see if it conforms to the federal Clarity Act.
“We have an obligation as the federal government to look at the question and determine whether it’s consistent with the Clarity Act,” Carney stated in Ottawa.
Potential Parliamentary Action
Under the act, Parliament can declare a question improper and refuse to deal with it. Legal action could also invalidate the question. This has happened twice before, raising the possibility of a repeat.
Smith seems to believe her question is shielded because it only asks if people want a later binding referendum on independence. Legal experts were consulted to keep the question out of court. However, clarity remains the key test.
The Question Under Scrutiny
The question reads: “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?”
“Look, is it helpful to ask these fundamental questions?” Carney asked. “No, it’s not helpful. Of course it’s not. Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn’t. It wasn’t on the ballot, wasn’t in the mandates or platforms of any of the governing party and the official Opposition.”
Brexit Parallels
Carney also cited Britain’s Brexit example, which seems ever more relevant. “I saw first-hand what happened in the United Kingdom when the view was, vote for this, it’ll be soft and then we’ll negotiate,” the PM said. “And they’re still — 10 years later — trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for but ended up having.”
Federalist Campaign
Carney said he’ll join the federalist campaign, not with speeches but with pro-Alberta economic actions. Smith says she’ll vote to remain in Canada and promises to campaign across the province all summer. The premier has drawn a line in the sand with her own caucus, expecting MLAs to toe the pro-Canada line, though some may not.
Smith is in league with Liberal Carney, who collaborates with her but thinks her referendum question is dangerous. The clash highlights deep tensions between provincial ambitions and federal unity.
