Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to deliver an update Thursday on her government’s plan to hold a referendum in October that will ask Albertans’ opinions on a number of immigration and constitutional issues.
Smith announced in February that she will put nine questions to Albertans, including proposals to restrict social services from some immigrants, whether the government of Alberta should push to have the federal Senate abolished, whether the Canadian Constitution should be amended to allow provincial governments to select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts and if the Constitution should be amended to give provincial laws, that deal with areas of shared constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws.
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Since last April’s federal election, the province has also been embroiled in a heated debate over Alberta separating from Canada.
The separatist group Stay Free Alberta is currently collecting signatures calling for a referendum on Alberta’s independence.
The group claims it has already surpassed the signature threshold, and Smith has said she would put any question on the ballot should proponents get the required number of signatures.
In her ruling, Justice Shaina Leonard said the separation proponents can continue to collect signatures on their petition, but the province cannot proceed any further until the First Nations’ constitutional concerns and claims they have not been properly consulted are dealt with by the courts.
Another anti-separation petition called the “Forever Canadian” petition, also collected more than 400,000 signatures from Albertans to keep the province in Canada.
That petition is currently being discussed by a committee of the Alberta legislature to decide the next steps.
I am looking forward to the referendum. We will finally know if Albertans are smart enough to get out of the sinking ship that is Canada.
Frankly, I doubt we are but there’s always hope.
To those who want to separate, move to the states. We don’t need you. Take Smith and her clowns with you.
Oh poor me.
Alberta won’t separate. Not as long as 75% of Albertans recognize the considerable advantages of remaining Canadian. Those that want to separate need to ask themselves: What happens when the oil runs out? Or is no longer needed? At the rate the world is greening, this may happen much sooner than you think. Tarsands oil will be one of the first sources to be abandoned, because it’s one of the most expensive to extract.
What a waste of taxpayer money that could be spent on…. pick something she has screwed up … health care.
@Les, so when the separatists lose, I hope you have a place to go.
Because after that, you will be forever called a traitor.
And life isn’t going to get better…for you..
For any “Albertans” here complaining about Smith, the exit door is always wide open. Please use it ASAP. Stay Free Alberta met the minimum within days of starting to collect signatures.
Alberta would be better off leaving Canada and working joking the USA. Albertans are conservative and have much more in common with Americans than central/eastern socialist Canadians.
All question have been answered , stick with your treaty agreement with Canada , get the same deal with Alberta , or make a new and better treaty agreement with Alberta
I am so tired for this hearing POS voice. Never had a brake from her since she got into office.
Smith is the worst Premier we’ve ever had.
Law school.
If you send your kid to med school in Smithberta good luck.
Law school.
“Brian Jean” you say that as though Jason Kenney has any credibility. How sad.
“Try This” how about you stop whining or move?
Smith is for Smith and got the high school nickname two face for a reason. Ask Wild Rose. Ask Kenney.
More taxes wasted.
How about a referendum if we want permanent Daylight Saving Time, or permanent Mountain Standard Time? She is going ahead with DST despite a referendum telling her no. How about the referendum if we want to keep Sheriffs? (that one is a leftover from many years ago – promised but never kept). How about the high speed rail that Smith has been pushing to get her rail service to Banff. Should we get high speed rail between Calgary, Edmonton and Grande prairie before we put more pressure on Banff. Should we promote private health care, or support our provincial health care system?
So many questions that Smith and UCP should pay attention to.