On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney compared Alberta’s move towards an independence vote to Brexit, cautioning it as a potentially “dangerous bluff.” Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, announced a vote for October 19 on whether the province should remain in Canada or take legal steps to hold a binding referendum to leave. Carney, drawing from his Brexit experience, expressed his concerns.
Carney served as the governor of the Bank of England in 2016 when the UK voted to exit the European Union. He played a key role in guiding the central bank through the process. “I saw firsthand what happened in the United Kingdom when the view was, ‘Vote for this, it’ll be soft and then we’ll negotiate,'” he explained. “They’re still 10 years later trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for, but what they ended up having.”
Smith’s party did not campaign with a referendum on its platform during the last provincial election. Carney highlighted this by questioning the democratic legitimacy of the proposed vote. “Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn’t. It wasn’t on the ballot paper,” Carney stated. Smith has affirmed her support for Alberta staying in Canada, a stance some compare to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s approach prior to the Brexit vote.
Carney is currently focused on an endeavor to construct a new oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast. Albertans have often complained that the federal government has not done enough to facilitate access to Asian markets for Alberta’s oil resources. “We have to be very careful about this. There’s a very strong positive case for Canada, a strong Alberta in a united Canada,” Carney emphasized. “I look forward to making that case with many others over the next 150 days.”
Responding to Carney, Smith insisted that the question of separation is for Albertans to decide. “Albertans’ frustrations have been fueled by the last 10 years of disastrous policies from Ottawa under Justin Trudeau,” Smith remarked, referencing the previous prime minister. “I would also remind all Canadians not to dismiss the legitimate grievances of Albertans. Instead, we should focus on addressing these issues, restoring hope in Canada, and demonstrating that our country can work and is working.”
Leave a Reply