Separatist group releases potential Alberta referendum question

Jason Markusoff · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 2:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

An Alberta separatist radical released connected Monday a referendum question connected independency from Canada that it volition petition to get successful beforehand of provincial voters — but lone erstwhile it has garnered enactment from 600,000 Albertans.

That's much than triple the fig of signatures the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) would request nether a caller United Conservative Party authorities measure that makes it overmuch easier to unit a referendum connected the ballot.

The radical besides said it would propulsion Premier Danielle Smith to let a separation referendum aboriginal successful 2025, alternatively of adjacent year as she's suggested. They said a captious wide of separatist UCP members tin transportation the premier to fast-track the referendum.

At a quality conference, APP lawyer Jeff Rath pulled a bluish provincial emblem disconnected an easel to uncover the independency referendum question: "Do you hold that the state shall go a sovereign state and cease to beryllium a state of Canada?"

He touted this ballot question arsenic acold clearer than the ones Quebec enactment distant successful its 1995 secession referendum, "and arsenic superior arsenic a bosom attack."

Rath and his chap separatists depicted an autarkic Alberta with nary regulations from Ottawa oregon eastbound Canadian interests, lower provincial taxes positive nary national taxes. 

They suggested lipid and state improvement would treble wrong 5 years, aggregate caller pipelines would widen into the United States, and residents of a breakaway Alberta republic would inactive support their Canadian passports and Canada Pension Plan entitlements.

The radical said it wouldn't motorboat a citizens' inaugural petition until it had 600,000 registered supporters, alternatively of the 177,000 soon to beryllium legally required. They said this would bring their question person to the overmuch higher fig of votes they'd request to triumph connected a secession referendum.

According to an Angus Reid Institute canvass released past week, 19 per cent of Albertans would decidedly ballot to permission Canada, portion different 17 per cent accidental they thin successful that direction. More than fractional of respondents said they would decidedly ballot to enactment successful Canada.

Smith has said she supports Alberta staying successful Canada. She has made respective demands of Prime Minister Mark Carney to springiness Alberta a amended woody successful confederation — to driblet galore national vigor and clime policies, and overhaul the national transportation strategy to springiness much wealth to her state wrong the adjacent six months.

More to come.