Calgary mayor says he wants to hold advocacy campaign opposing separation, but can’t

The mayor of Alberta’s largest city says he wants to hold an anti-separation advocacy campaign as the province nears a referendum on quitting the country but that provincial rules prevent the city from taking that step.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is advocating for Premier Danielle Smith’s government to lift restrictions that he says bar the municipality from actively campaigning on the issue.

“I’m going to use my voice, certainly as mayor, the full power of my platform to speak out against this misguided economic carnage that separation would cause,” Farkas said Thursday after a Calgary Stampede event with Smith.

He said his first step would be to commission research on the economic effects separation would have on the city and educate Calgarians about those consequences ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum.

Albertans are to vote on whether they want the province to stay in Canada or to start the process to hold a second, binding referendum on quitting Confederation.

“I am going to fight tooth and nail against this misguided proposal. I’m going to be advocating for us to fix this country and not turn our backs on the rest of Confederation,” Farkas said.

4:19 Nearly half of Calgary Chamber members are likely to relocate business if Alberta separation process moves forward

Lynne Davies, acting city solicitor, said at a council meeting this week that councillors can independently voice their opinions and make a motion to request an analysis on referendum impacts from city staff or through a third party.

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“The issue will be whether the city can report on and make public those conclusions that are reached.”

She said it’s not clear if that would contravene provincial legislation.

However, Davies said, the city could face issues with provincial legislation if it tries to spend more than $1,000 to promote or oppose an outcome in the referendum.

Only registered third-party advertisers can go beyond that spending, and the city isn’t allowed to fulfil that role, Davies said.

In an emailed statement, the office of Justice Minister Mickey Amery said the Alberta government can’t make amendments to legislation before the fall sitting at the end of October.

“There are many ways for the Calgary mayor and councillors to advocate their positions on the upcoming referendum without the municipality acting as a registered third-party advertiser,” Amery said in the statement.

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