The best place for Alberta to be is in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday after a judge’s decision to throw out a separatist petition in the province.
“Certainly a Canada that works, which is what we’re pursuing,” Carney told reporters.
“I think the evidence — well — others will judge.”
On Wednesday, Justice Shaina Leonard ruled the petition calling for a referendum on separation shouldn’t have been issued under a provincial law that Premier Danielle Smith’s government made changes to, aiding the separatist effort.
The judge also said Smith’s government neglected its duty to consult First Nations.
Carney, asked whether he thinks a vote should be held on Alberta separation, said referendums on any topic are part of a democracy but rules also need to be followed.
“That means respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples, respecting the right of people to privacy,” he said.
He also said it means following the federal Clarity Act, which gives Ottawa a say on whether any separation question is clearly understood and what should be considered a sufficient majority vote.
“Ultimately, Parliament has a role in making the judgment about the question,” Carney said.
Smith called the judge’s decision “anti-democratic” and quickly announced her government would appeal. She also questioned the duty to consult ruling, saying it’s something reserved for specific projects such as pipelines.
The group behind the petition, Stay Free Alberta, also said it would appeal, saying the judge erred in law.
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy launched the court challenge. They argued the petition process was unconstitutional and that separation would violate treaty rights.
The premier is now facing calls to put the separatist question on the ballot herself, but she hasn’t committed one way or another. She has said she needs to discuss it with her United Conservative Party caucus and cabinet.
Carney didn’t say whether he’s worried about the prospect of an Alberta vote on separation and repeated that Ottawa is focused on working with all provinces and territories to make Canada work.
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“We’re making that progress on behalf of Albertans. But by making Alberta stronger, we’re making all of Canada stronger,” Carney said.
Smith, in question period Thursday, agreed and said she appreciates Carney’s willingness to work with Alberta.
Both said they would be making be an announcement Friday in Calgary about their landmark energy deal from the fall.
Neither shared details. But a source with knowledge of the discussions has said the governments are expected to announce a plan to raise Alberta’s industrial carbon emission price to $130 per tonne by 2040.
The carbon price agreement is one of several steps Smith and Carney committed to in their fall pact, the end goal of which is a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast.
Both leaders have repeatedly pointed to the energy deal as something necessary to counteract Alberta’s separatist movement and convince some supporters to get back on Team Canada.
Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said Smith is trying to balance competing interests.
“Every time she leans in the direction of saying federalism works, the separatist dissidents within her party start to make noise and demands. If she cedes to their demands, she risks losing support of moderate conservatives and swing voters,” Williams said.
“On the one hand, we’ve got potential for movement on energy policy and pipelines that requires investor confidence. On the other, we’ve got this referendum that movement on the energy file could tamp down.
“But the persistence of the referendum question is harming the ability to go to the next step on pipelines.”
As First Nations from across the province continued to celebrate the judge’s decision, Smith defended her decision to appeal it.
“We don’t want to deny 300,000 people the opportunity to have their signatures and their efforts considered and validated,” Smith said during legislature debate.
The separatist group Stay Free Alberta submitted the petition to Elections Alberta last week, touting a tally of nearly 302,000 signatures.
“That is why we structured the Citizen Initiative Act to be permissive, to allow for citizens to have that democratic right … and that’s what we’re going to be defending,” Smith said.
She cited another petition that has taken a pro-federalist stance and has already been verified, saying she can’t discount that more than 700,000 Albertans want to put the province’s future in Confederation on a ballot this fall.
The premier has outlined nine questions dealing with immigration and constitutional changes for an Oct. 19 referendum. Adding a separation question to the ballot has been up in the air.
Mickey Amery, Smith’s justice minister, wouldn’t say what the province plans to argue in its appeal. But he told reporters the government would be working with the courts to get the process moving quickly.
Rebeca Gimenez, a law professor at the University of Alberta who is an expert in constitutional and Indigenous rights law, said she didn’t think the province would argue against the finding that a duty to consult exists for separation. But she said it could mount an appeal based on when that consultation takes place.
During the court hearing last month, government lawyers said the province felt consulting Indigenous leaders was something that would only become necessary if Smith’s government actually took steps to take Alberta out of Canada after a referendum.
Leonard, in her decision, said the duty to consult was triggered early in the petition process because, if successful, it would lead to a binding vote.
Gimenez said the province could re-hash arguments it made in the hearing about the petition process being administrative and that opportunities for consultation exist later in the process.
She also said Smith was wrong in saying the duty to consult only applied to specific projects.
“It does apply to policies and regulatory processes and strategic processes,” Gimenez said.
Not even allowed to fart without getting permission from the chiefs. Canada becomes more of a joke every minute a Liberal is in power.
I hope the rest of Alberta comes to realize that Independence is the only path to sanity.
Time to stop funding the indigenous.
Best place for Alberta is to join the USA and be respected. Trudeau and Carney caused this crisis.
I don’t blame Alberta for wanting to seperate. The country has been in a downward spiral for the last decade, and it seems like many people are out of touch with reality. It is harder and harder to relate to eachother, our perception of politics have taken a strange turn and it’s almost like we’ve became an odd parody of the American people.
We’ve allowed political parties to push us apart and divide us, instead of remaining the constant critics to the government that we should be. Now I hear people say “I’m a Conservative” or “I’m a Liberal”, why? Why do we align ourselves with political parties, to the point that when they do something that is truly wrong, we justify it and make excuses on their behalf? Elections used to be so simple. If they are doing a good job and life is good, you re-elect them. If they are making bad decisions and it is decreasing your quality of life, you vote them out.
Why didn’t Quebec s get tossed?
Waaah-lberta
Can someone let Carney know we have the right to disagree in this country and freedom to say so. Also the right to food ,water and shelter so freezing bank accounts for disagreeing with the government especially when it your own money paying for it is unlawful and only a weak man would do that to people!
He means what’s best for Canada, not Alberta. Where would the country be without all the money that flows from Alberta’s oil.
The establishment must be scared shitless…they are finally paying attention to Alberta.
Alberta in Canada? For Carney maybe so he can keep taking 20 billion plus from Alberta. If Alberta separates its richer than Saudi Arabia with no income tax. So why would Alberta want to stay in Canada! It’s a losing proposition. What does Canada offer Alberta? How about nothing, but imposing more laws for control!
Rebeca Gimenez is confused. there is no duty to consult. There was no duty to consult in the Quebec referendum…
Enough of giving things to the natives. They are only a part of Alberta.
That being said, the vast majority of Albertans want to stay in Canada. That is what Smith needs to pay attention to. Shoot down Carney’s clean energy plans and get him to clear the way for the pipeline. – Why is he holding Alberta hostage, if he really wants us to stay?
Global news the epitome of biased and paid for liberal propaganda.
Carney needs to call Smith’s rejection of the courts as interference and Sec 90 her NWCs.
United we stand, divided we fall. Separatists are just a bunch of ‘nutters’.
Another corrupt lie beral judge. Canadians are better off LEAVING Chinada.
If everything in canada is corrupt, why would alberta ever want to stay
If everything in canada was corrupt, why would alberta wanna stay
“Prime Minister Mark Carney says the best place for Alberta to be is in Canada.”
People keep saying that but never give a good logical reason for Alberta to stay in Canada.
The best place for Carney is the EU, yet here we are.
And the best place for Albertans is IN ALBERTA! NOT B.C.
best place for Carney is in jail for fraud and misrepresenting a PM.
Within Canada, Alberta has no say, GTA Ontario and Montreal use their MP numbers to veto Alberta’s every breath. Why would they want to stay?
Nice of the Brit to offer his opinion.
What “rules” were followed when Quebec declared themselves a separate nation?
Good for you Canada, create even more anger amongst the people who are already on the separatist train, and give the. More fuel to point why we need to leave Canada.
The separation of Alberta was entirely caused by problems in federal policy.A government, that is, wanting to take profits from energy but not supporting it, sets obstacles everywhere.What kind of schizophrenic person could do such a thing?The province that contributes the most to taxes doesn’t receive a single cent of federal support. Is this the real mother?A country, just like a family, only asks for money but doesn’t support it. Which child would like you?The separation of Alberta is purely a man-made disaster of the federal government.
Another 60 years of enslavement to Ottawa. My adult children will leave now for the U.S
Quebec is alway talking and voting about separating and nobody cares but let another province do it everyone is up in arms. Could it because the federal government will miss all the money they get from Alberta
Glad this has blown up in Danielle’s face and she is forced to concretely acknowledge her alignment with separatist sentiment if she wishes this to go any farther, even though we all already know where she stands. This provincial government has tarnished our province – our education, healthcare, the business environment and more – I hope the ramifications come fast and hard at her door and a reckoning is on the horizon.