Mark Carney Calls Alberta Separation Referendum a Dangerous Bluff, Likens It to Brexit

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Alberta’s planned separation referendum a “dangerous bluff” and likened it to Brexit as he spoke to reporters in Ottawa on Monday.

“Carney warns Alberta independence vote from Canada could echo Brexit as a ‘dangerous bluff’ Carney warns Alberta independence vote from Canada could echo Brexit as a ‘dangerous bluff’ TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday compared Alberta’s vote on whether to move toward independence to Brexit, calling it a potential “dangerous bluff”

Associated Press

Carney said the argument that Albertans should “vote for this and it is a free option” is “a very dangerous bluff,” drawing on his experience as governor of the Bank of England during the 2016 Brexit vote.

Associated Press

Danielle Smith, Alberta’s premier, has said the province will hold a vote on October 19 on whether it should stay in Canada or move toward a binding referendum on separation later.

Carney also warned that the referendum is not helpful for attracting investment and said, “Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn’t.”

In Alberta, Mitch Sylvestre, CEO of Alberta Prosperity Project and leader of the Stay Free Alberta group, said he is organizing to force either a leadership review of Premier Danielle Smith or for her United Conservative Party to demand a different referendum question than the one Smith put forth.

Sylvestre said he was “50-50” on whether the next move would be “on leadership” or “on the [referendum] question,” and he argued that Smith’s popularity among her base has taken a major hit compared with the 91.5 per cent support she notched in her last UCP leadership review in 2024.

BBC

Rob Smith, the party’s president, has declared the party will stay neutral on October’s referendum, while CBC reported that the governing party is at odds with the premier, her cabinet and her caucus that advocate for the “remain” option.

Jeffrey Rath, the chief lawyer for Stay Free Alberta, said online that the premier has “lost the moral authority to lead,” but Rob Smith responded that “When Jeff Rath makes a claim like that, I would say the only person who truly believes that is Jeff Rath.”

The referendum comes after a grassroots independence movement gathered more than 300,000 signatures for a petition calling for a vote on separation, but a court decision quashed the petition after indigenous First Nations in Alberta successfully argued they were not properly consulted.

“The leader of Alberta’s main separatist group is organizing to force either a leadership review of Premier Danielle Smith, or for her United Conservative Party to demand a different referendum question than the one she’s put forth, he told CBC News on Tuesday”

CBC

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she will proceed with a referendum question on separation regardless, and the BBC reported that she pointed to a separate counter-petition advocating for Alberta to remain, signed by more than 400,000 people.

Carney said he will be campaigning for Canadian unity in the coming months and told reporters, “We have to be very careful about this,” adding, “There is a very strong, positive case for Canada, a strong Alberta in a united Canada.”

CTV News also reported that Smith promised not to hold a later separation referendum if the “remain” side wins the October vote, tying the next steps directly to the outcome of the October 19 decision.