Alberta amends referendum bill as First Nations fear it will trample treaty rights

Lisa Johnson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 15, 2025 8:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Alberta's authorities has made 11th-hour changes to arguable projected legislation, declaring that nary separation referendum question could endanger First Nations' existing pact rights.

Premier Danielle Smith's authorities is moving to little the threshold to let for citizen-initiated referendums, including whether the state should abstracted from Canada.

Her government's projected Bill 54, besides known arsenic the Election Statutes Amendment Act, has yet to go law, but it's faced backlash from Indigenous leaders since its instauration successful the location much than 2 weeks ago.

Justice Minister Mickey Amery said Wednesday the United Conservative Party authorities has heard concerns from First Nations connected however specified a referendum mightiness impact pact rights.

"We are listening," helium said.

'United successful our resistance'

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Chief Sheldon Sunshine and Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro were speedy to merchandise a connection saying the amendment "means nothing," and the projected measure inactive needs to beryllium shredded.

"We person heard from galore Treaty people; we are agreed successful our resistance. None of america volition backmost down," they said, noting a protestation is planned Thursday astatine the legislature grounds successful Edmonton.

"Now that your authorities has thrown these legislative grenades, successful the substance of 2 weeks, you volition instrumentality 5 months disconnected portion the remainder of america enactment hard," they wrote.

WATCH | Is Danielle Smith fuelling the seperation debate? 

Opposition NDP Indigenous relations professional Brooks Arcand-Paul said during statement successful the house, the government's amendment does thing much than perpetrate the state to what it is already legally obligated to do.

He said the UCP is simply paying articulator work to Indigenous people.

"It is reprehensible," Arcand-Paul said.

"This authorities fails abhorrently erstwhile it comes to consultation. I look guardant to the ineligible challenges that come," Arcand-Paul told the assembly.

Earlier Wednesday, NDP Deputy Leader Rakhi Pancholi told reporters that adding a enactment to the measure wouldn't legally beryllium capable to respect the rights to consultation that Indigenous peoples person successful the province.

"Fundamentally, immoderate speech astir separatism, immoderate speech astir Alberta — unilaterally oregon done a referendum process — removing itself from Canada, means we are already violating our pact rights," she said.

The referendum question

Smith has said she doesn't enactment separating her state from Canada, but Albertans person genuine grievances with the national government, and she wants concessions from Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney.

She has argued that Alberta, peculiarly its lipid and state industry, has been undermined for a decennary by anti-business policies and laws from the national Liberals.

While Smith has said she's moving to summation respect for Alberta wrong a agreed Canada, she doesn't privation to spot the Alberta separatist question turn into a large, mainstream governmental party.

In a Tuesday missive to First Nations chiefs representing the Blackfoot Confederacy, Treaty 8 First Nations, Treaty 6 First Nations, and Treaty 7 First Nations, Smith appealed for their assistance successful straight lobbying Ottawa for a "fair share" of national backing for Alberta.

She offered Wednesday's amendment to her government's authorities arsenic a motion of goodwill.

Smith said national backing represents an injustice to First Nations successful Alberta, and cited the "treasured relationship" betwixt First Nations and the state to reason for taking a agreed lawsuit to Ottawa.

"I anticipation we tin locomotion this way unneurotic for everyone we represent," wrote Smith.

A 2nd amendment from the authorities passed Wednesday addresses 1 of respective large concerns aired past week by main electoral serviceman Gordon McClure.

McClure has said immoderate of the bill's changes would efficaciously termination the predetermination commissioner's quality to analyse and enforce compliance with predetermination law, including by limiting investigations into fiscal publication rules and limits to 1 twelvemonth alternatively of three.

Amery said an amendment introduced Wednesday to the measure would lengthen that timeline to 2 years aft alleged wrongdoing.