Alberta
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
WHy:? It is their land. And the liberal government has repeatedly interfered in what is clearly Provincial jurisdiction forever. The separatist movement was created by turdOWE with his deliberate interfering with job creation in Alberta.
Yet another clear case of the liberal party interfering in Provincial affairs. If anything this will improve the odds of separation.If the goal of Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard was to fuel the separatist fire, she’s doing an exquisite job.
On Wednesday, Leonard quashed a petition that separatists in the province had organized to trigger an independence referendum in the fall. Why? Because the chief electoral officer who allowed the petition to go forth in the first place didn’t adequately consult the Indigenous peoples of the province.
That’s right. The very same duty to consult responsible for roadblocking major projects and hobbling the country’s economy — and driving separatist sentiment among Albertans fed up with all of the above — is now being weaponized to prevent a democratic consultation of the general public.
Justice Leonard’s reasoning was that consultations needed to happen before the petition was even approved because a successful petition triggers a cascade of steps that can lead to secession. But by ordering consultations so far upstream, Leonard is guaranteeing waste; obscene amounts of waste.
Jamie Sarkonak: When Indigenous rights come before your democratic rights — National Post
Alberta judge weaponizes duty to consult to kill separatist petitionapple.news
Timelines like that would be obstructive to democracy: putting a mere petition on hold to ensure that an ethnic minority can give its express-line input first would probably mean missing the referendum timeline set out in the legislation. Maybe that’s the point.
It wouldn’t be the first time; this is now a common cause of death for major projects in Canada. After the constitutionalization of Aboriginal and treaty rights in 1982, the courts sprouted the duty to consult, requiring the Crown — the executive, not the legislature — to meaningfully consult and accommodate Indigenous groups that might be impacted by government action. For example: the granting of pipeline approvals, the allocation of salmon quotas, the handing out of tree harvesting licences. What makes the duty to consult so brutal is that it’s a constantly moving target.
There isn’t a clear rubric setting out how it can be met — indeed, it depends on the scenario. Courts have also expected more over time. Aboriginal groups are able to use this uncertainty to launch lengthy challenges that stall approvals and sometimes kill projects completely. The duty to consult isn’t officially an Indigenous veto, but it certainly amounts to one when you consider the concessions it takes to bring Indigenous groups onside — and the years it takes to fight the holdouts in court.
With any luck, Manitoba and Northern BC will also join. The NDPee in BC treat everyone outside their power base about the same as liberals treat the west. If a free vote were held today, I bet most of Northern BC would join Alberta to create a strong new country.
I agree with you on the federal meddling being extremely stupid.
But separatism works in the Liberals' favor, and pouring gasoline on the fire is in their favor.
The Referendum will still fail, but there's your MAPLE MAGA, and they will have helped the Liberals.
And we will be fucked for at least three more years thanks to this utterly stupid move.
Alberta and Saskatchewan did not become provinces until 1905.
Prior to that, it was the Northwest Territories, and I believe that Battleford was the capital.
Prior to that, it was the Northwest Territories, and I believe that Battleford was the capital.
By the time you read this post, you might think I'm drinking. I apologize to PGs, and Taxslave, who I know aren't bad folks, but people who are disillusioned. And to both of you, I share that disillusion. When this debate gets personal, and I walk away, it makes me sort of ill, like physically. The personal side of it isn't healthy for anyone. So, I apologize for my comments in the previous posts.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defends decision to appeal court ruling on separatism petition
Your Province. Your Premier host, Wayne Nelson, told Smith on Saturday that critics are accusing her of showing her “true colours"
Author of the article:Jackie Carmichael
Published May 16, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on Friday, May 15, 2026 before signing an agreement on oil pipeline approvals and carbon pricing.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on Friday, May 15, 2026 before signing an agreement on oil pipeline approvals and carbon pricing. Photo by Brent Calver /Postmedia
Premier Danielle Smith told callers Saturday she still holds that Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard’s Wednesday ruling was “anti-democratic” — and she wouldn’t rule out a referendum with or without a successful appeal.
Leonard found the provincial government failed to meet its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations, who argued Alberta separating from Canada would infringe on treaty rights. She quashed the Stay Free Alberta separatist petition, ruling that the chief electoral officer should never have issued it without proper First Nations consultation.
Sean, a caller from Edmonton, lambasted the premier’s decision to appeal the quash.
“You’re wasting our tax money pandering to the very worst people in our province who hate this country, who want to kick me out of my own country, and appealing this court decision that correctly says that separation would be unconstitutional,” he said.
Smith walks a narrow line in her own party. Recent polls have shown separatist sentiment on the rise in the UCP, and five out of nine UCP officers added to the board in November 2025 appeared on a slate of Alberta Prosperity Project-supported “pro-independence” candidates.
Your Province. Your Premier host Wayne Nelson told Smith on Saturday that critics are accusing her of showing her “true colours.”
“By doing so, are you defending democracy, or are you pandering to the ultra-right wing of your party to avoid the same fate that befell Jason Kenney and Ralph Klein?” Nelson asked.
Smith said 400,000 people signed a petition wanting to affirm that they want to remain in Canada, and 300,000 signed a petition saying the opposite is democratic.
“That’s over a quarter of every Albertan who is eligible to vote, and that’s the reason we have a citizen initiative process, so the people on both sides of an issue can have it out, talk about it, and be able to hopefully, in this case, chart a better path towards autonomy within the united Canada, which is my position,” she said.
Smith said she showed her true colours on Confederation this week by signing an MOU with a timeline for approval of her government’s much-sought-after oil pipeline to the West Coast, which could see shovels in the ground in 2027.
The deal builds on the memorandum of understanding reached by the two leaders in November 2025. Postmedia reported this week the MOU was met with some doubt from B.C. Premier David Eby and Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative Chief Marilyn Slett.
Smith said she’s worked hard on the piece since November.
“Coming to an agreement, that’s my view of how our country works. We have federal jurisdiction and provincial jurisdiction, and where they overlap, you have to work it out, and sometimes it takes a little while, and sometimes it takes going back and forth, but it’s worth doing, and I think we got not only a good result for Alberta, but a good result for Canada,” she said.
The premier, who has invoked the notwithstanding clause to override several federal decisions in the last year, said the reason she intervenes “in certain cases” is to prevent overreach of judges when it affects a broader interest for Alberta.
“We want citizens to feel confident that they can get their fellow citizens together and put a question of public interest on the agenda … for a single unelected, Trudeau-appointed judge to come in and say you can’t do that without indigenous consultation? First, I think that upends the entire act, because how is a group of well-meaning citizens supposed to even meet that bar?” she said.
Smith said it’s a bar the government has to meet, but it only triggers the requirement to do so if it’s successful.
“We think the decision was anti-democratic and also an error in law, and we’ll appeal it to see if we can get it through the process, and perhaps get a Supreme Court judgment, and hopefully one that’s on our side, because we think citizen initiative petitions are important.”
Asked if there will be a fall referendum on separation, Smith said she had to talk to her caucus and cabinet.
“There’s some work of the committee on the Forever Canada petition, that was the one that was put forward, the question, Do you want to remain in Canada?, which did get over 400,000 signatures, so there’ll be a little bit more work that we need to do internally as we’re digesting the impact of this of this decision, and I’ll have more to say on that next week, likely,” Smith said.
jcarmichael@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Your Province. Your Premier host, Wayne Nelson, told Smith on Saturday that critics are accusing her of showing her “true colours"
Author of the article:Jackie Carmichael
Published May 16, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on Friday, May 15, 2026 before signing an agreement on oil pipeline approvals and carbon pricing.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on Friday, May 15, 2026 before signing an agreement on oil pipeline approvals and carbon pricing. Photo by Brent Calver /Postmedia
Premier Danielle Smith told callers Saturday she still holds that Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard’s Wednesday ruling was “anti-democratic” — and she wouldn’t rule out a referendum with or without a successful appeal.
Leonard found the provincial government failed to meet its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations, who argued Alberta separating from Canada would infringe on treaty rights. She quashed the Stay Free Alberta separatist petition, ruling that the chief electoral officer should never have issued it without proper First Nations consultation.
Sean, a caller from Edmonton, lambasted the premier’s decision to appeal the quash.
“You’re wasting our tax money pandering to the very worst people in our province who hate this country, who want to kick me out of my own country, and appealing this court decision that correctly says that separation would be unconstitutional,” he said.
Smith walks a narrow line in her own party. Recent polls have shown separatist sentiment on the rise in the UCP, and five out of nine UCP officers added to the board in November 2025 appeared on a slate of Alberta Prosperity Project-supported “pro-independence” candidates.
Your Province. Your Premier host Wayne Nelson told Smith on Saturday that critics are accusing her of showing her “true colours.”
“By doing so, are you defending democracy, or are you pandering to the ultra-right wing of your party to avoid the same fate that befell Jason Kenney and Ralph Klein?” Nelson asked.
Smith said 400,000 people signed a petition wanting to affirm that they want to remain in Canada, and 300,000 signed a petition saying the opposite is democratic.
“That’s over a quarter of every Albertan who is eligible to vote, and that’s the reason we have a citizen initiative process, so the people on both sides of an issue can have it out, talk about it, and be able to hopefully, in this case, chart a better path towards autonomy within the united Canada, which is my position,” she said.
Smith said she showed her true colours on Confederation this week by signing an MOU with a timeline for approval of her government’s much-sought-after oil pipeline to the West Coast, which could see shovels in the ground in 2027.
The deal builds on the memorandum of understanding reached by the two leaders in November 2025. Postmedia reported this week the MOU was met with some doubt from B.C. Premier David Eby and Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative Chief Marilyn Slett.
Smith said she’s worked hard on the piece since November.
“Coming to an agreement, that’s my view of how our country works. We have federal jurisdiction and provincial jurisdiction, and where they overlap, you have to work it out, and sometimes it takes a little while, and sometimes it takes going back and forth, but it’s worth doing, and I think we got not only a good result for Alberta, but a good result for Canada,” she said.
The premier, who has invoked the notwithstanding clause to override several federal decisions in the last year, said the reason she intervenes “in certain cases” is to prevent overreach of judges when it affects a broader interest for Alberta.
“We want citizens to feel confident that they can get their fellow citizens together and put a question of public interest on the agenda … for a single unelected, Trudeau-appointed judge to come in and say you can’t do that without indigenous consultation? First, I think that upends the entire act, because how is a group of well-meaning citizens supposed to even meet that bar?” she said.
Smith said it’s a bar the government has to meet, but it only triggers the requirement to do so if it’s successful.
“We think the decision was anti-democratic and also an error in law, and we’ll appeal it to see if we can get it through the process, and perhaps get a Supreme Court judgment, and hopefully one that’s on our side, because we think citizen initiative petitions are important.”
Asked if there will be a fall referendum on separation, Smith said she had to talk to her caucus and cabinet.
“There’s some work of the committee on the Forever Canada petition, that was the one that was put forward, the question, Do you want to remain in Canada?, which did get over 400,000 signatures, so there’ll be a little bit more work that we need to do internally as we’re digesting the impact of this of this decision, and I’ll have more to say on that next week, likely,” Smith said.
jcarmichael@postmedia.com
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defends decision to appeal court ruling on separatism petition
Premier Danielle Smith told callers Saturday she still holds Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard’s ruling was “anti-democratic."