Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has opted to present her own referendum question to Albertans in the fall, a move that is likely to divide her party as separatist sentiments in the province have reached decades-long highs.
Government's Referendum Question
In a video address on Thursday evening, Smith said her government will present its own referendum question, one that copies neither of the questions presented in petitions that gathered over 700,000 signatures. The government's proposed question does not explicitly offer an option of Alberta independence but asks whether the province should agree to a later legally binding referendum on separation from Canada.
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?"
Smith claimed her government was not "kicking the can down the road" but attempting to appease Albertans on both sides of the separatist divide. "This question will ensure the 700,000 signatories to both petitions are respected and the will of Albertans is heard," she said.
Party Divisions and Separatist Sentiments
The decision comes as separatist efforts appear to cause fractures within Smith's own United Conservative Party ranks. Two senior cabinet ministers announced their resignation from the party on Wednesday. The pro-separation flank, a key force that helped Smith win her UCP leadership bid, has threatened to pull its support following legal and public perception setbacks.
Thursday's decision is unlikely to quell discontent among the UCP's more pro-separatist supporters, who demanded their specific question be added to the October referendum.
Balancing Act
Smith has long sought to balance pro-separation and pro-federation supporters, repeatedly saying she favors an "independent Alberta within a united Canada." Her government paved the way for a separatist petition by lowering the number of signatures needed to force a referendum.
"I support Alberta remaining in Canada. That is how I would vote on separation in a provincial referendum. It is also the position of my government and caucus," Smith said.
Petition Background
Under updated laws, proponents submitted two duelling questions: one for separating and one for remaining in Canada. The first, led by former MLA Thomas Lukaszuk, asks whether Alberta should "remain in Canada" and collected over 400,000 signatures. The second, by Stay Free Alberta, asks whether Alberta should "become a sovereign country" and collected over 300,000 signatures.
Smith was expected to add the separatist question to a planned October referendum, but plans were interrupted by a court ruling that found the government failed to properly consult First Nations, threatening Indigenous treaty rights. The decision halted Elections Alberta's ability to verify signatures unless overruled, a process likely to take months or years.
