The separatist movement in Québec may be dying down, but in Alberta, the idea of a divorce from Canada is picking up steam.
Driving the news: Following an unpopular federal election result in the province, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith proposed a bill that would make it easier for Albertans to trigger referendums in the province. Some experts think it’s a prelude to triggering a vote on separating from the rest of Canada.
- The bill would lower the number of people needed to force a citizen-led referendum from 20% of eligible voters to just 10% of those who voted in the last election.
- Based on 2023 election data, the change would reduce the number of signatures needed by over 410,000.
Catch-up: Without pointing to the separatist movement outright, Smith said back in March that Ottawa would have a “national unity crisis” on its hands unless it implemented her government's policy wishlist, which included axing the federal emissions cap and approving a cross-country oil and gas pipeline.
- Nationally, support for a coast-to-coast pipeline has risen dramatically, with 77% of Canadians now backing the idea. Even Quebecers have begun to change their tune.
Why it matters: Even though the odds of Alberta separating are still low, the idea has some traction, with 30% of Albertans saying they’d support the idea if a Liberal government were re-elected. This bill makes an eventual unity crisis all the more likely.—LA