Ex-cabinet minister says western separatism can fizzle out if Ottawa listens to grievances

Lauren Krugel · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 6:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Former national Conservative furniture curate Rona Ambrose says the secessionist sentiment successful Alberta is an unwelcome root of uncertainty for investors — but it could fizzle retired rapidly if Ottawa handles it right.

Ambrose, present lawman seat astatine TD Securities, said Tuesday there's a feeling of resentment successful Alberta and successful neighbouring Saskatchewan.

"I deliberation that it tin dissipate rather rapidly if immoderate of these underlying issues astir however the vigor assemblage has been treated by Ottawa are dealt with," she told a sheet treatment astatine the Global Energy Show.

Prime Minister Mark Carney can't instrumentality those feelings lightly, she said.

"We've had 10 years that person created a immense division, east-west, successful betwixt the national and provincial governments. He's got to heal that," Ambrose said of biology policies Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, brought in.

"And truthful decisions helium makes are not conscionable for the economical payment of Canada, but it's for the payment of nationalist unity, which is the astir important happening a premier curate should ever person apical of mind."

Ambrose said outreach and trust-building is paramount and the federal-provincial narration is "already better."

The main enforcement of 1 of Canada's biggest lipid and state companies said the complaints are valid adjacent if the separatist speech isn't the astir constructive mode to spell astir expressing them.

"The mode this separatist question has manifested itself is truly rooted successful immoderate grievances that I deliberation are existent and person frustrated this portion for a agelong play of time," Cenovus Energy main enforcement Jon McKenzie told the panel.

McKenzie told reporters connected the sidelines of the league helium has not been proceeding from investors astir the separatist rumblings, and that helium agrees the question volition "go away" if governmental leaders code the concerns.

Separation speech ratcheted up since election

Talk of Alberta going it unsocial oregon joining the United States has ratcheted up since the national Liberals won a 4th word successful bureau successful April.

In the province, wherever each but a fewer seats went Conservative blue, determination is wide discontent with national biology policies affecting the cardinal oilpatch industry.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced a measure that, if passed, would marque it acold easier for Albertans to motorboat referendums connected assorted topics — including splitting from Canada.

Last month, the apical enforcement of different large Alberta institution said specified speech of secession has already been hurting the concern climate.

Atco Ltd. CEO Nancy Southern said Asian partners successful a large hydrogen task indicated they won't marque last concern decisions unless determination is certainty astir the issue.

"There's conscionable excessively galore questions for them to beryllium assured that they tin determination guardant with large-scale concern decisions, and truthful I deliberation the separatist treatment is precise unhelpful and not constructive to Alberta," Southern said successful a May interview.

Questions see however an autarkic Alberta would get its products to coastal ports, what benignant of commercialized deals it would person with its neighbours, what currency it would usage and however unchangeable the system would be.

Southern said she understands Albertans' vexation with the national government.

"We person had the abbreviated extremity of the instrumentality connected galore occasions arsenic a effect of caller regulations and authorities and regularisation of law," Southern said.

"I'm a large believer that this premier curate wants to alteration things and I deliberation we request to beryllium down and enactment together."