Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will chair a panel to brainstorm how the province can protect itself from perceived economic incursions from the federal Liberal government.
Albertans will then have a chance to vote on the more popular proposals discussed at the “Alberta Next” panel’s in-person and virtual meetings during a 2026 referendum, Smith said in a video address Monday.
“The world looks at us like we’ve lost our minds,” Smith said. “We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth, and yet we landlock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch.”
“For Albertans, these attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable.”
The premier made the remarks during a video livestream where reporters were not present and unable to ask questions. Smith is holding a news conference to answer questions about her remarks Tuesday at noon.
Smith said her government has no plans to put the question of Alberta separating from Canada on the 2026 referendum ballot. However, if citizens are successful in gaining enough signatures to require the government to pose a referendum question to the public, that question would also be on the ballot in 2026, Smith said.
A bill currently before the legislature would make it easier to get the required number of signatures to prompt a referendum, should it pass as drafted.
“I do not support Alberta separating from Canada,” she said.
She said any referendum question must respect the constitutional rights of Indigenous people and respect Treaties 6, 7 and 8.
Smith also issued an updated list of demands she says Mark Carney’s minority government must meet to show Albertans respect.
Smith said she will appoint a special federal negotiation team to attempt to secure corridors to move Alberta oil and gas products to the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic coasts unobstructed.
Smith said Ottawa must also provide Alberta with the same per-capita equalization transfers as the other large provinces — Quebec, Ontario and B.C.
Smith repeated her call for consultation with Alberta before the federal government imposes any export tariffs with economic effects in the province.
Smith also reiterated her demands the federal government repeal environmental impact legislation on large infrastructure projects, an oil tanker ban of the northern coast of B.C., clean electricity regulations, a mandate to sell only electric vehicles by 2035, and any regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, use of plastics, or free speech.
It’s understandable that some Albertans are calling for separation after feeling the federal government won’t let the province’s economy prosper, the premier said.
“A large majority of these individuals are not fringe voices to be marginalized or vilified. They are loyal Albertans. They are quite literally our friends and neighbours who have just had enough of having our livelihood and prosperity attacked by a hostile federal government. They’re frustrated. And they have every reason to be.”
Smith’s address comes a week after the federal Liberals won a fourth consecutive federal election.
That outcome has roused some people to organize rallies and circulate petitions promoting the notion of separation from Canada, or potentially joining the United States.
More to come.
