Latest news with #AlbertaProsperityProject
Calgary Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Morton: Yes or No separation question wrong way to hold referendum
The First Ministers' conference in Saskatoon has come and gone. Premier Danielle Smith says she was 'encouraged' by Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks. Article content Maybe because Carney stated that there is 'real potential for an oil pipeline to tidewater.' But later, he qualified that it would have to be 'decarbonized oil.' Article content Article content What will that mean? We just don't know. Article content What we do know is that if Quebec were treated like Alberta has been treated, it would have separated long ago. And if Albertans had the opportunity to renegotiate the terms of our relationship with Canada, we would never consent to the status quo. Article content Article content This does not mean Alberta (or Western Canada) should secede from Canada. But it does mean making the rest of Canada understand that for Alberta — and really all of Western Canada — the status quo is just as unacceptable. Article content Article content There is a lot of room between these two extremes for constitutional reforms to strike a fairer balance. Finding that balance, defining it, will be the challenge for Smith in the coming months. Article content Which brings us to the referendum. It's going to happen. Article content The UCP's new rules for initiating a citizens' referendum can and will be met by separatist groups such as Alberta Prosperity Project (APP). But there are good ways and bad ways to use referendums to inform public policy. And right now, we are headed in the wrong direction. Article content The APP's referendum question is blunt: 'Do you agree that Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province of Canada? Yes or No.' The APP claims that it already has 220,000 'pledges.' And the No forces are already mobilizing and fundraising to defeat them. Article content Article content A referendum framed like this would be a waste of time. It would simply tell us what we already know: that about 20 per cent of Albertans are ready to leave now. It also ignores the 60 per cent of us who are neither separatist nor status quo, and would undermine Alberta's efforts to persuade Carney to roll back the Trudeau anti-oil and gas policies. Article content The right way for Alberta to hold a referendum on this issue would be to use the referendum model that New Zealand used to replace its first-past-the-post electoral system. Article content The New Zealand referendum presented voters with two questions. The first was do you support the status quo? In New Zealand, 85 per cent said no. This vote then triggered the second question: Which of the following alternatives do you support? Article content Of the four options, 70 per cent favoured mixed-member proportional. And that is what New Zealand now has. The details are not relevant to us. What is relevant is that this two-question referendum model would empower the majority of Albertans to have a meaningful say in what comes next.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Alberta's push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland's in 2014
One day after the Liberal Party secured their fourth consecutive federal election victory, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled legislation to change the signature threshold needed to put citizen-proposed constitutional questions on the ballot. She lowered it from the current 600,000 signatures to 177,000. Since the pro-independence Alberta Prosperity Project already claims to have 240,000 pledges in support of an Albertan sovereignty referendum, the change clears a path to a separation referendum. In 2014, Scottish voters went to the polls on a similar question to the one proposed by the Alberta Prosperity Project, but asking voters whether they wanted to regain their independence from Britain. Although the Scottish 'Yes' campaign was defeated, it garnered 45 per cent of the vote, far exceeding what most thought was possible at the start of the campaign. The 2014 Scottish referendum injected a huge amount of enthusiasm into the Scottish separatist parties, with the largest, the Scottish National Party (SNP) — which led the fight for the Yes side — soaring from 20,000 members in 2013 to more than 100,000 months after the referendum. While the Yes campaign did not achieve its goals and the Scottish historical context is very different from Alberta's, there are still important lessons about how people can be won over to the cause of independence. Albertan separatists don't seem to be heading down the same path. Smith has suggested that if the necessary signatures were collected, that she would aim to hold a referendum in 2026. But the Alberta Prosperity Project's Jeffrey Rath suggested the group would push Smith to allow a referendum before the end of 2025, giving the referendum a maximum of seven months of official campaigning. The broad ground rules of the Scottish referendum were established in the Edinburgh Agreement in October 2012. On March 2013, the SNP-led Scottish government announced the date of the independence referendum — Sept. 18, 2014. The long campaign period allowed a wide variety of grassroots campaign groups to organize in favour of independence. While Alberta separatism is less likely to be buoyed by artist collectives and Green Party activists like Scottish independence was, a longer independence campaign would allow a variety of members of Albertan society to make the case for independence. Dennis Modry, a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, recently told CBC News that the initial signature threshold of 600,000 was not all bad, as it would 'get (us) closer to the referendum plurality as well.' That remark suggested Modry sees value having more time to campaign before a referendum is held. In this regard, he and Rath seem to be sounding different notes. Hints that the Alberta Prosperity Project is already divided raises broader questions of leadership. In 2014, the Scottish Yes side had a clear and undisputed leader — First Minister Alex Salmond, head of the SNP. The late Salmond led the SNP to back-to-back electoral victories in Scotland, including the only outright majority ever won in the history of the Scottish parliament in 2011. Salmond was able to speak in favour of independence in debates and to answer, with democratic legitimacy, specific questions about what the initial policy of an independent Scotland would be. The SNP government published a report, Scotland's Future, that systematically sought to assuage skeptics. Its 'frequently asked questions' (FAQ) section answered 650 potential questions about independence. The Alberta Prosperity Project, on the other hand, only answers 74 questions in its FAQ. Whereas Salmon's rise to the leadership of the Scottish independence movement was done in full public view and according to party rules, the Alberta Prosperity Project's leadership structure is far murkier. The organization claims there 'is no prima facie leader of the APP, but there (is) a management team which is featured on the website Follow that link, however, and no names or management structures are listed. While independence always involves some unknowns, clear leadership can provide answers about where a newly independent nation might find stability. The Yes Scotland campaign promised independence within Europe, meaning Scotland would retain access to the European Union's common market. By contrast, the Alberta Prosperity Project isn't clear on the fundamental question of whether a sovereign Alberta should remain independent or attempt to join the United States as its 51st state. Despite the claim on its website that 'the objective of the Alberta Prosperity Project is for Alberta to become a sovereign nation, not the 51st state of the USA,' the organization backed Rath's recent trip to Washington, D.C. to gauge support for Albertan integration into the U.S. Rath has also said that becoming a U.S. territory is 'probably the best way to go.' The 2014 referendum in Scotland was called a 'festival of democracy', and even anti-independence forces agreed the referendum had been good for democracy. It took time and leadership to put forward a positive case for independence, one that voters could decide upon with confidence. Alberta could learn from Scotland and strengthen its democracy by holding a referendum based on legitimate leadership, reasonable timelines, diverse voices and clear aims. Or it could lurch into a rushed campaign, with divided leaders of dubious legitimacy, arguing for unclear outcomes — and end up, no matter which side wins, weakening its democracy in the process. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Piers Eaton, L'Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa Read more: Alberta has long accused Ottawa of trying to destroy its oil industry. Here's why that's a dangerous myth Danielle Smith's subservient Florida trip flouts the Team Canada approach to fighting Trump Why Alberta's Danielle Smith is rejecting the Team Canada approach to Trump's tariff threats Piers Eaton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Vancouver Sun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Separatists want to 'hold Poilievre's feet to the fire' in Alberta byelection bid
OTTAWA — Currently seatless Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is eyeing an easy win in a not-yet-called byelection in rural Alberta, but locals say he could be caught in the middle of a growing firestorm over Alberta separation. The first hurdle for Poilievre, who represented suburban Ottawa as an MP for two decades before losing his seat last month, will be convincing locals that he's not just another central Canada politician who sees Alberta as a giant ATM machine. 'I'm somewhat suspect that Mr. Poilievre has said publicly that he doesn't feel there should be any big changes to the equalization formula,' said Rick Strankman, referring to the federal wealth redistribution program Alberta hasn't seen a dime from since the mid-1960s. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Strankman is a third-generation resident of Poilievre's prospective riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, who represented the area as an Wildrose MLA from 2012 to 2019. He says he's seen an uptick in support for Alberta separatism within the community since last month's federal election , which saw the Liberals win their fourth-straight mandate. 'I think many people are deeply unsatisfied, and many people are frustrated in that they don't know how to achieve a positive change, unless it… evolves from a referendum,' said Strankman. Province-wide polls show up to two-thirds of Albertans who support the governing United Conservative Party would vote 'yes' in a referendum on Alberta independence. Poilievre said last week that he was 'against (Alberta) separation' but sympathized with the 'legitimate grievances' of those who were for it. Strankman, who's involved with the pro-separation Alberta Prosperity Project, noted that the group has several upcoming events in and around the riding, including a forum in the 800-person town of Castor next month. 'I just saw a poster for the Castor event at my local tractor repair shop,' said Strankman. Strankman doesn't think that Poilievre is in danger of losing the byelection but suspects that turnout could suffer if he ignores the rising tide of Alberta separatism. 'You could almost run a straw bale in our riding under the Conservative flag and that would get elected… but there might be an apathy there if (Poilievre) can't shake the label of being a parachute candidate from Ottawa,' said Strankman. Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer with the Alberta Prosperity Project, says he expects the high-profile byelection to attract 'a strong pro-independence candidate or two' with 'good local name recognition.' 'It would be fascinating to see somebody hold Poilievre's feet to the fire and make him explain how it is that federalism still works for Alberta,' said Rath. Rath publicly dared Poilievre last week to run in Battle River—Crowfoot under the slogan 'No more Alberta tax dollars for Quebec, and a dairy cow and micro-dairy in every Alberta barn that wants one.' Prime Minister Mark Carney said shortly after the election that he'd ensure Poilievre's byelection took place 'as soon as possible' if his fellow Conservatives wanted him to stay on as leader. The soonest the Battle River—Crowfoot byelection can take place under federal law is in early August , meaning it will likely follow three provincial byelections expected for earlier in the summer. One of these byelections, coincidentally, will take place in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, where Alberta's first, and thus far only, separatist MLA Gordon Kesler was elected in a 1982 byelection. Kesler was beaten soundly in a general election later that year. Cameron Davies, leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, announced on Tuesday that he will be running in the riding , hoping to follow in Kesler's footsteps as a separatist voice in the Alberta Legislature. He says that Kesler, who's still active in the riding, has been an indispensable source of support and wisdom as he embarks on his own political journey. Davies told the National Post he doesn't see Poilievre as an advocate for Alberta, even if he ends up winning a federal seat in the province. '(Poilievre) is a federal politician… he has to be a Team Canada player,' said Davies. 'Alberta no longer wants to be part of team Canada, and so at some point (he'll) have to reconcile with that.' National Post rmohamed@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Chris Selley: Central Canadians are practically goading Alberta to consider separation
Article content Of all the problems Canada faces in 2025, the prospect of Alberta sovereigntists winning a referendum and plunging the country into constitutional hell does not appear to be one of them. A Postmedia-Leger poll released last week, found just 29 per cent of Albertans supported the province 'becoming a country independent of Canada,' which is what the straightforward referendum question recently proposed by the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) would ask. That's even fewer than the 36 per cent of Quebecers who would vote Yes in their own sovereignty referendum, according to a Leger poll released before last month's federal election. Article content Article content But good grief, Central Canada could hardly be doing more to try to pump the APP's tires. Ironically, that includes some Quebec separatists. Article content Article content Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has offered support, in principle: 'I totally agree with provinces that stand up, that are loyal to their own parliament, that are capable of showing a strong hand,' he said earlier this month. This seems like the only logical strategic position for Quebec sovereigntists to take if — like the PQ, which is in pole position to win the next provincial election — they're actually planning on holding and winning a referendum and commencing divorce proceedings with Ottawa, the other provinces and First Nations. Article content Others in the Quebec sovereignty movement, however, haven't been able to resist broadcasting their contempt for Alberta. Legalities aside, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet averred earlier this month, a proper sovereignty-seeking entity 'has to have a culture of their own.' Article content Article content 'I am not certain that oil and gas qualifies to define a culture,' he added disdainfully. Article content Article content 'In Quebec, we have a nation, a language, a culture, a distinct history,' Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the arch-nationalist Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, told The Canadian Press earlier this month. 'They want an oil-based future. We have no common goals. We're not alike.' Article content But in this respect, we're almost seeing a national-unity moment among Central Canadian elites — sovereigntist and federalist, Upper and Lower Canadian alike — with respect to Alberta.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Dene Nation organizes protest against Alberta separatism at N.W.T. Legislative Assembly
Danielle Smith is among the premiers at this week's meetings. In her province, the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project is gunning for a referendum on the matter. Some First Nations are worried about what that could mean for treaty rights.
