Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will continue focusing on “co-operative federalism” as Alberta separatists intensify efforts to trigger a provincial referendum on leaving Canada.
The comments came after separatist organization Stay Free Alberta submitted what it claims are more than 300,000 petition signatures to Elections Alberta in support of a separation referendum. The group needed approximately 178,000 valid signatures to move the proposal forward.
Speaking Tuesday during the announcement of Louise Arbour as Canada’s next governor general, Carney emphasized that his government intends to continue working collaboratively with provinces and Indigenous communities while respecting Canadian laws and democratic institutions.
“To continue to act as we have from the start,” Carney said. “Which is in the spirit of co-operative federalism, making the country work — making it work for Albertans, making it work for Indigenous Peoples and making it work for all Canadians.”
The prime minister also pointed to legal and constitutional considerations surrounding any potential separation referendum, including the federal Clarity Act and past Supreme Court rulings on secession.
“There’s the rule of law. There’s the Clarity Act, which has been opined upon by the Supreme Court,” Carney stated. “Any referenda in any part of Canada need to be consistent with that.”
Carney further noted that several Indigenous Nations in Alberta have launched legal challenges against the separatist petition effort, arguing that separation would violate treaty rights and constitutional protections.
An Edmonton court is expected to rule soon on that legal challenge, which could affect whether the petition proceeds further.
If the petition signatures are verified by provincial authorities, Albertans could potentially vote on the separation question as early as October.
Carney was also asked about the role of the governor general in maintaining national unity during politically divisive times. He said the office represents the values and institutions that bind Canadians together.
“And I think, very importantly, represents what’s at the heart of our institutions and the spirit of Canada,” Carney said. “That we’re all equal. That the rule of law applies to everyone — the powerful as well as the powerless.”
The Alberta separatist movement has gained renewed attention amid growing political tensions between Ottawa and some western Canadian groups over energy policy, federal regulations and economic concerns.