For Danielle Smith and Alberta separatists, no clear path left for referendum after court loss
The judge ruled the 301,000-signature petition unlawful after finding Alberta failed to consult First Nations before advancing a secession vote.
- On yesterday, Justice Shaina Leonard quashed Alberta's separatist petition and its 301,000 signatures, ruling the government failed to consult the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy on potential treaty impacts.
- Premier Danielle Smith spent the past year easing rules to help the pro-separatist petition succeed, channeling independence supporters toward a referendum process intended for October 19 alongside other scheduled ballots.
- Two judges have ruled that treaty risks are relevant at this stage, though a University of Saskatchewan law professor argued that discarding over 300,000 signatures based on an unreflective legal test remains controversial.
- Organizers consider a 'Plan B' to persuade Smith to call a government-led referendum, while some suggest the 301,000 signatures could be redirected toward efforts to unseat the Premier.
- Recent polling suggests 27 per cent of Albertans back secession, while Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that any referendum must respect Indigenous rights and align with the Clarity Act.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Cory Morgan: Danielle Smith’s Referendum Conundrum
Commentary Alberta’s growing independence movement has been focused for months on fulfilling the requirements set out in the province’s Citizens’ Initiative Act to trigger an independence referendum. A May 13 court ruling quashing Elections Alberta’s approval of Stay Free Alberta’s 301,000-signature petition has put Premier Danielle Smith in a difficult position. Smith has maintained a balance by stating that she supports what she calls a “sover…
Alberta's separatists hit by legal setback ahead of Carney visit
Alberta separatists have been dealt their first major setback in their campaign for a referendum on seceding from Canada, after a provincial court ruled this week in favor of a First Nations bid to halt the referendum petition.
Salmon Arm Observer
Sicamous Eagle Valley NewsThe Turner Files: Alberta’s trojan horse
Danielle Smith didn’t import separatism into Alberta politics. She inherited it, renovated it, and handed it the keys. Tyler Shandro posted something on X yesterday that stopped at least one Alberta opposition MLA in her tracks. “Has hell frozen over?” wrote NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi. “I’m sharing Tyler Shandro.” Tyler Shandro is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who represented the Calgary-Acadia electoral district in the Alberta Legislative…
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