Alberta Premier Would Allow Separation Referendum if Petition Requirements Are Met

Smith made the comments as part of a post-federal election livestream address on May 5, while announcing a set of new initiatives to negotiate with Ottawa for the benefit of her province, including getting a “guaranteed corridor” to export Alberta’s oil and gas and make changes to the equalization program.

Smith said Albertans are “frustrated” by the federal government, noting that the re-elected Liberal government has been implementing legislation such as the Impact Assessment Act that she said has in effect stopped pipeline projects.

“It’s not that our preferred candidate and party lost—that happens in a democracy,” she said.

“It’s that the same Liberal government, with almost all the same ministers responsible for our nation’s inflation, housing, crime, and budget crisis, and that oversaw the attack on our provincial economy for the past 10 years, has been returned to power.”

Special Negotiating Team, ‘Alberta Next’ Panel

Smith said she will appoint a new Special Negotiating Team to work with the federal government on a number of the province’s demands, saying she hopes this would result in a “binding agreement” which could be called an “Alberta Accord.”

Included in these demands are getting a “guaranteed corridor and port access to tidewater off the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic coasts” so that Alberta could export its oil, gas, minerals, and other resources to more markets.

She also demanded that the federal government end measures such as the Impact Assessment Act—which she calls a “no new pipelines law”—net zero electricity regulations, the emissions cap on the oil and gas sector, restrictions on plastic products, the net zero vehicle mandate, and plans to regulate industrial carbon tax emissions.

“These laws are destroying investment confidence and costing Canada and Alberta hundreds of billions in investments each year,” she said.

Smith also said Ottawa must refrain from imposing export tariffs or restrictions on exports from Alberta without the consent of the provincial government.

The federal government had previously indicated that in response to U.S. tariffs, options on the table include putting restrictions or export tariffs on Alberta’s oil and gas exports to the United States.

Smith added that Ottawa must provide the “same per capita federal transfers and equalization” as received by the other large provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

“We have no issue with Alberta continuing to subsidize smaller provinces with their needs, but there is no excuse for such large and powerful economies like Ontario, Quebec, B.C., or Alberta to be subsidizing one another. That was never the intent of equalization, and it needs to end,” she said.

Smith said another initiative would be to set up an “Alberta Next” panel compromising of judicial, academic, and economic experts who would hold town halls to gather ideas about the province’s future, and how to “better protect Alberta from any current or future hostile policies of the federal government.”

She said some of the more popular ideas from the panel would then be included in a provincial referendum sometime in 2026.

Separation Referendum

Smith said her government wouldn’t be putting forth a separation referendum, but if there is a successful citizen-led petition that gathers the required number of signatures, her government would follow the democratic process and allow that question to be on the 2026 referendum ballot.

Last week, the province lowered the bar for holding referendums, introducing a bill that would extend the signature collection period from 90 to 120 days and set the threshold at 10 percent of eligible voters who participated in the most recent general election.

Currently, constitutional initiatives need backing from 20 percent of province-wide registered voters and in two-thirds of Alberta’s constituencies, while legislative or policy initiatives require support from 10 percent of registered voters across the province.

The issue of Alberta’s secession and a possible separation referendum gained attention during the federal election campaign, when a poll indicated that one-quarter of Albertans favoured the idea, with support for a referendum slightly increasing in all provinces if the Liberals were re-elected.

Over the weekend, hundreds gathered outside the Alberta legislature in Edmonton to rally for separation from Canada, with some displaying U.S. flags to reflect support for the province becoming part of the United States, something U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he would wish for Canada.

“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—that being separation,” Smith said in her address.

“We are well aware that there is a large and growing number of Albertans that have lost hope in Alberta having a free and prosperous future as a part of Canada.”

Smith said people on both sides of the debate shouldn’t be “marginalized” or vilified, saying they are “our friends and neighbours who have just had enough of having their livelihoods and prosperity attacked by a hostile federal government.”

Still, she said, there are many like herself who don’t support Alberta separating from Canada.

“I personally still have hope that there is a path forward for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” she said.

Smith said legislation she has passed as one of her first acts as premier, the Alberta Sovereignty within a Untied Canada Act, and other such measures has allowed the province to “fight through much of Ottawa’s damaging interference and prosper in spite of it.” She also noted that the province continues to challenge Ottawa’s legislation impacting Alberta in the courts.

Smith said the April 28 federal election showed that attitudes among the young people when it comes to understanding the importance of the free markets and natural resource development is changing.

“People are pushing back against government censorship and ‘cancel culture,’” she said.

Ahead of the federal election, polls consistently showed that a larger share of young Canadians were intending to vote for Conservatives than for the Liberals.

“I am going to do everything within my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new prime minister,” Smith said.

“And while doing so, our government will work with Albertans on various initiatives to better protect Alberta’s provincial sovereignty and economy from Ottawa should those negotiations fail, and the economic attacks continue.”

Grievances

Smith said her government has already taken legal action or otherwise opposed a number of policies implemented by Ottawa, which she says infringe on provincial jurisdiction and prevent the development of resources in Alberta, such as the oil tanker ban and the Impact Assessment Act.

“Having travelled much of the world these past few years, it is evident that Canada is not viewed as an attractive place to invest in resource development, manufacturing, or agriculture because of our high carbon taxes, endless red tape, and the uncertainty and chaos brought about by these and other federal government policies,” she said.

Still, Smith repeated her previous comment that she had a good “first conversation” with Prime Minister Mark Carney after he was elected on April 28, saying he had “promising things to say” about changing direction on energy policies.

During the election campaign, Carney had said he will work with provinces to set up energy corridors and speed up building projects, while saying he plans on growing both “clean and conventional” energy projects.

However, he has clashed with Alberta on his plan to maintain policies such as the Impact Assessment Act and ramp up carbon taxes on industry. He has said he would ensure regulatory redundancies are avoided and that he would streamline projects.

Carolina Avendano has been a reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times since 2024.

Omid Ghoreishi is with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.

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