Miles Morrisseau
ICT
The leader of Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta is being called a “separatist” after she introduced legislation that would make it easier for citizens to put forward constitutional referenda that critics say could lead to efforts to “break up Canada.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, introduced the legislation one day after the nation’s Liberal Party won election to a fourth term as a minority government.
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The Alberta government blames the Liberal Party government for failure to build the pipelines, like Keystone XP, that are required to move oil and oil products to markets in the U.S.
“A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government,” said Smith, who traveled to Florida in January to meet with then-President-elect Donald Trump at Mar a Lago.
“As Premier, I will not permit the status quo to continue,” Smith said in a statement after the election. “Albertans are proud Canadians that want this nation to be strong, prosperous, and united, but we will no longer tolerate having our industries threatened and our resources landlocked by Ottawa.”
First Nations chiefs and members of the Alberta Legislature responded by calling on Smith to “stand down.”
On Wednesday, April 30, Chief Sheldon Sunshine of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and Chief Billy Joe Tuccaro of Mikisew Cree First Nation sent a letter to the Alberta premier, accusing her of creating a crisis when the country is already under attack by the Trump administration.
“You are attempting to manufacture a national unity crisis by enabling a referendum on separation and a fanatical cell of individuals at the exact moment when Canadians need to be united against Donald Trump’s America,” the chiefs said in the letter.+
“The province of Alberta is on treaty lands,” the letter continued. “Please be advised that your irresponsible statements and actions are in breach of treaties number 6-7 and 8. We demand that you immediately stand down from this conduct.”
The chiefs reminded the premier that the treaties are the foundational documents of the country.
“Our treaties are sacred covenants and are to last forever,” the letter stated. “Alberta did not exist when our ancestors agreed to share the land with the crown. The province has no authority to suspend or interfere with our treaties even indirectly by passing the buck to a citizen’s referendum.”
They continued, “If you or any Canadians are not happy living on treaty lands they are free to apply for citizenship elsewhere.”
The chiefs also sent a letter to newly elected Prime Minister Carney with a brief congratulations and asked him to step up to bring the Province of Alberta in line.
“Congratulations on your election as Prime Minister. Unfortunately we have no time for pleasantries,” the note said. “We are enclosing our letter to premier Daniel Smith for your urgent attention. As you know Canada is founded on treaties that were sacred covenants between the crown and our ancestors to share the lands.
“We were not prepared to accept any further treaty breaches and violations … and respectfully ask that you get the province of Alberta in line. We look forward to working with your new government as treaty partners,” they said.
‘A fit of political rage’
The Liberal Party and Prime Minister Mark Carney retained control of the government in the April 28 election but only in a “minority” capacity, meaning they will need to work with other parties to pass legislation.
The day after the election, Smith released her statement and later in the day introduced Bill 54. The Election Statutes Amendment Act includes reducing the threshold for successful petitions to the Citizen Initiative Act to 10 percent of eligible voters. The previous threshold was 20 percent, or about 600,000 signatures.
The Citizen Initiative Act creates a petition process that allows eligible voters to submit proposed legislative and policy changes and proposed constitutional referendum questions to the provincial government.
The opposition New Democratic Party leaders have called the premier a “separatist” by pointing to the Alberta Sovereignty Act of 2022 as another example of that agenda.
Brooks Arcand-Paul, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, addressed the Legislature on Wednesday, April 30, challenging the bill’s legality and timing.
“In a fit of political rage, the premier introduced a bill that would make it easier to launch Alberta into a separatist crisis, as if threatening to break up Canada was just another wedge issue. Why now? Why in the middle of rising costs and global instability, would this premier choose the path of chaos?“ asked Arcand-Paul, who represents the riding, or district of Edmonton-West Henday.
“Separatism creates uncertainty,” he said. “It drives away investment. It hurts workers. It hurts the oil and gas sector, just like Trump and his reckless tariffs.”
Brooks is a member and the in-house legal counsel for the Alexander First Nation, where he provides legal advice and manages the legal affairs for the nation of 2,300 people. He spoke out in defense of the First Nations treaties.
“Here’s what the premier won’t say,” he said. “First Nations must consent to any talk of separation. Full stop. Our inherent right and jurisdiction over these lands predate the creation of Alberta. We are signatories to treaties six, seven and eight, made with the [British] Crown, not with the province.
He continued, “First Nations in Alberta want our treaties honored. We want our sovereignty respected, and we do not want to become the 51st state … I will never, ever vote for separatism, because this is, and always will be, Indian land.”
Jobs and energy
Smith has been criticized for being too cozy with Trump even as his rhetoric towards Canada continued to ramp up.
Trump has launched strict tariffs on Canada, though some have been delayed, and has repeatedly made remarks suggesting that the nation of Canada should become the 51st state in the U.S.
Trump’s policies played an oversized role in this year’s national election, with top candidates voicing anti-Trump rhetoric.
Smith traveled to Mar a Lago to meet with Trump on Jan. 11 in what she indicated was an attempt to remind Trump of the importance of Alberta’s oil to the American economy.
“We had a friendly and constructive conversation, during which I emphasized the mutual importance of the U.S.-Canadian energy relationship,” Smith posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the meeting.
“Specifically,” she posted, “how hundreds of thousands of American jobs are supported by energy exports from Alberta.”
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