Smith says referendum necessary before Alberta can ‘move on’ from separatism debate

Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the potential of an oil pipeline to the West Coast and the Western Premiers' Conference.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the separatism debate in her province should not be a distraction from energy or other national projects, despite the topic repeatedly coming up at the western premiers conference in Kananaskis early this week.

“I know it’s not common everywhere, but when citizens say, ‘Hey, we want to have a conversation about something,’ as 700,000 Albertans have, then I’m obligated as the premier to facilitate that and put that on the ballot,” Smith told BNN Bloomberg on Wednesday.

She announced late last week the province would be adding a question about Alberta separating from Canada to an Oct. 19 referendum, despite a judge ruling First Nations weren’t properly consulted by the citizen-led petition for a referendum on the matter. That side handed in 300,000 signatures at the start of May, while a group petitioning for Alberta to make it policy to remain a part of Canada gathered some 400,000.

In Kananaskis, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urged Smith to delay the referendum while the provinces work with Ottawa to get pipelines built in western Canada and criticized Smith’s promise to appeal the court ruling.

B.C. Premier David Eby also reiterated his opposition to the referendum and questioned collaborating on national projects with one province entertaining the idea of leaving Confederation.

“The most constructive thing the premiers could do right now is to talk to their federal party leader, NDP Leader Avi Lewis, who continues to advocate to keep fossil fuels in the ground,” Smith said Wednesday.

“That’s the kind of toxic influence I’m talking about. It’s politicians who use their platform to target Alberta, target our resources, target our wealth, and that’s what I think Albertans have responded to.”

However, she said it was important to not “make anyone who is approaching this in a spirit of good will into an enemy,” pointing to the memorandum of understanding Alberta signed with Ottawa to get energy projects started, despite her and Prime Minister Mark Carney being of different political stripes.

Smith contrasted Carney with former environment minister Steven Guilbeault, whose upcoming resignation she said she was “glad” about.

“The fact that we can work out our differences and come to some common understanding that benefits both Alberta and Canada is the way our country should work,” she said of working with Carney. “I’m trying to show through my actions that I believe that Canada could work; I’ve got a little bit more convincing to do of my fellow Albertans, but this is why we need to have the debate, get the vote over on Oct. 19, and then move on from it.”

Smith said she left the annual conference excited about the future of the western provinces and territories.

The meeting’s agenda consisted of trade, the economy, energy security and defence.

With files from BNN Bloomberg