Alberta’s government has filed its appeal of a judge’s decision to throw out a petition looking to force a vote on the province quitting Canada.
Premier Danielle Smith criticized the ruling last month, calling it “anti-democratic,” and promised to appeal.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard found the referendum petition shouldn’t have been issued under provincial law and that Smith’s government neglected its duty to consult First Nations.
In the appeal filed Thursday in Edmonton court, the province says it plans to argue the judge made 14 errors in her decision.
It says issuing the petition didn’t trigger the duty to consult and the judge failed to give weight to the democratic purpose of the petition process.
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Smith announced after the ruling that Albertans would vote in an Oct. 19 referendum on whether they want to remain in Canada or start the process to have a second, binding referendum on separation.
The premier cited the judge’s decision as being the reason a direct question on separation can’t be added to the ballot.
— More to come…
Subject: Albertans Need to Know the Full Truth Behind This “Fiscal Plan”
People need to take a very hard look at what’s being presented here. The “Fully Costed Fiscal Plan for an Independent Alberta” is not an audited budget, not prepared under GAAP — Generally Accepted Accounting Principles — and not aligned with public sector accounting standards. It’s built on optimistic assumptions, selective data, and best case scenarios that fall apart the moment you apply real world scrutiny.
The revenue projections are not guaranteed. They depend on perfect oil prices, uncertain CPP asset transfers, speculative economic growth, and savings that only exist if negotiations go exactly right. That’s not responsible fiscal planning — that’s rolling the dice with Alberta’s future. When a plan openly admits its numbers are only approximate, the public has a responsibility to verify every major claim with reliable, independent sources, not just trust the marketing.
And the biggest danger is what the plan doesn’t talk about. The real costs of creating a new country — building federal level institutions, replacing national systems, negotiating debt, establishing borders, creating regulatory bodies, absorbing full program costs — are either minimized or barely mentioned. These are multi billion dollar, unavoidable expenses, and pretending otherwise is not transparency.
And what about seniors?
This is the part that should alarm every Albertan.
There are zero guarantees in this plan about:
• Old Age Security (OAS)
OAS is a federal program, paid directly by the Government of Canada. An independent Alberta would have to replace it entirely — and the plan does not show how it would be funded or guaranteed.
• CPP pensions already earned
The plan assumes Alberta will receive a large share of CPP assets, but that number is disputed, not guaranteed, and would depend on negotiations that could take years.
Meanwhile, seniors and near retirees need certainty — not “we think it will work out.”
• Survivor benefits, disability benefits, GIS, and other federal supports
All of these would have to be recreated and funded by Alberta alone. The plan does not provide clear, costed guarantees.
Seniors have spent decades paying into these programs. They deserve iron clad certainty, not vague promises and optimistic projections.
When a proposal hides the true costs, inflates the potential revenues, and offers no concrete guarantees for seniors’ pensions, that’s not a fiscal plan — that’s a warning sign. Alberta deserves honesty, transparency, and independently verified numbers before anyone is asked to make decisions of this magnitude.
The risks are real. The uncertainties are massive. And the consequences of getting this wrong could last for generations.
Some people don’t want the independence election because of the polls prove low support. So the NDP are polling poorly so lets cancel provincial elections.
Anonymous below. please go!! you can be elbow up for great new world order leader!!!
If we separate I am moving out of Alberta.
Why is this govt bending over backwards to such to such a degree to such a small group?
How does this small group have so much sway?
Lawfare will only postpone the inevitable and will incite those who insist on democracy
This is a democracy which in essence means that it does not matter whether any single one of us agrees or not. What matters is that the process is allowed to happen.
Fort McMurray is going to separate from Alberta and join Saskatchewan . Problem solved .
Albertans have told the UCP’s they don’t want to separate yet Smith and the UPC’s continue to push it through…anti-democratic…that applies to Smith and the UPC’s.
Why is the government using taxpayer money to fight a court battle for a private group? Shouldn’t the separatists be the ones to file the appeal?
What a waste of time, resources and taxpayer dollars. Greedy fucks need to justify their paycheques.
In a poll, indigenous people were the highest percentage of identifiable groups that wanted the separation petition. Corrupt band chiefs can pound sand. That judge is a corrupt Lie-beral lap dog – oh, I don’t want to insult dogs as they are mans best friend.
Roy Thurman you are clueless. The treaty negotiations are FEDERAL matters. You, and your maga wannabees have NO say in what is decided. SDSU.
Don’t you love all this money wasted on nothing just so maple maga wannabe Americans can have their say? I wish they’d go back to whining about masks or ostriches being killed.
Reason #325 for Alberta Separation. People are tired of being dictated to by the indigenous. If the indigenous want to stay in Canada, we will allow the reserves to remain.
They will lose the vote, but it is good that we appeal the ruling that the Natives have more say in Alberta than the rest of us.
GOOD!!!!!!