Saskatchewan’s premier says he is happy Albertans have voted overwhelmingly to reject a referendum on separation. Speaking with reporters in Saskatoon on Tuesday, Premier Scott Moe shared his enthusiasm with the result – while highlighting the need for continued work to improve provincial relationships with Ottawa. “I’m pleased to see a strong message sent,” Moe said. “… the nation is worth it. Canada is worth that work. It is worth that effort and for those of us that are in duly elected positions like we are, we’re committed. We’re committed to doing that.” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck shared similar sentiments on Tuesday, saying the result sent a clear message to “separatist leaders and any other who would seek to tear our country apart.” “In the days and weeks ahead, I look forward to working with all those in Saskatchewan and right across this nation,” Beck said in a statement. “We need to remain focused on being welcoming, united, and on building a future where everyone has a chance to succeed.” CTV News projects that roughly 76 per cent voted to remain while around 24 per cent voted for a second referendum on the issue of separation. Moe argued it’s on the rest of Canada to prove to those seeking separation that the nation is truly worth it. “There are still 24 per cent that said they did no longer want to remain in the nation of Canada. To those Canadians outside of Alberta, I would say let’s give them a reason to think differently,” he said. Repeatedly referring to Ottawa’s current brand of “cooperative federalism,” Moe highlighted legislative steps forward in the forms of Bills C5 and C39 and various trade matters that have been furthered under Prime Minister Mark Carney. “I think most Canadians do see a marked difference between the leadership that we have now federally versus the leadership we had previously federally,” Moe said. “It’s not perfect. I’m not going to stand here and say it’s perfect, but I’m going to say it’s much stronger. It’s much more collaborative, and it is the essence of how this nation is to work through cooperative federalism.” The nine other questions on the referendum ballot, which centred around immigration reforms, judicial appointments, senate abolition, and loosening federal-provincial linkages on laws and social services, have been characterized by Premier Danielle Smith as potential political compromises. The yes vote won for all but one of those questions. Sask. separatists react Saskatchewan Prosperity Project (SKPP) president Brad Williams said he was surprised more Albertans didn’t vote to proceed with a separation referendum - citing the bargaining power he believes it would grant the province. “… had everybody said that they wanted to leave Canada, Danielle Smith could have taken that to Ottawa and said, ‘Hey, people are unhappy. We want a better deal,’ and maybe they could negotiate some of those things that Quebec has, or maybe even further," he told CTV News. “So, I was really shocked. I was surprised.” When asked if the result from Alberta aids or hampers his organization, Williams said it gives him and his supporters more motivation. “It definitely changes. It tells us we have to work harder, and we have to educate people, and that’s what SKPP does,” he said. “We’re here to present both sides of the topic, and we welcome discussion from both sides. Because hey, if you can change our minds, we’ll back down.” While speaking in Saskatoon, Moe did acknowledge Saskatchewan hosts those who want to separate from Canada. “We have similar sentiments in Saskatchewan, we’re not that different from Alberta,” he said. When asked if his government is interested in holding a similar referendum to Alberta’s, regarding the nine non-referendum related questions, Moe said the discussion hasn’t happened. “We do have plebiscite legislation in place, as you know, but we we haven’t had a discussion,” he noted. Prior to Monday’s referendum, Moe publicly shut down a suggestion from the world’s richest man for Saskatchewan to separate from Canada. In a series of social media posts, Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X.com (formerly Twitter), encouraged Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada. Moe quote replied to the post, simply writing “No.” With files from Daniel Reech
