The separatist movement in Canada

Mark Carney warns of a “dangerous scam” in Alberta

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney does not welcome Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to hold a vote this fall on a future referendum on secession from Canada, reports the CBC.

He calls the initiative a “dangerous scam” that could backfire in the same way as the Brexit vote in Britain.

“I saw it up close in Britain, which is still trying to sort out the consequences of what people didn’t think they voted for,” says Carney.

Danielle Smith said late last week that a referendum on independence could not be held this fall. Instead, the vote is about whether the process should continue.

According to Carney, there is a risk that the result will be misinterpreted as a final decision on separation.

“Danielle Smith doesn’t always listen to my advice,” he says.

The background is that a separatist movement in the province has collected enough signatures to force a vote.

A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute also shows that more people would vote yes to moving forward with a referendum than to a direct question about whether Alberta should leave Canada.

“Pandora’s box” awaits if Alberta breaks away

The Canadian province of Alberta will hold a vote this fall on whether residents want to remain part of Canada or move forward with a referendum on independence. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced this at the end of last week, reports the BBC.

The background is that the province’s separatist movement announced earlier in May that it had collected the 178,000 signatures required to force a referendum.

If residents ultimately vote to break away, a long and complicated process awaits.

“It’s like opening Pandora’s box,” constitutional law expert Errol Mendes told CTV News.

The Clarity Act would first be activated to determine whether the question to residents is clear enough for a vote, before negotiations between the government and the province could begin. But Canada’s constitution does not regulate separation, and both a majority of the provinces and parliament would have to say yes.

“How that would even work is hard to say,” says Mendes.

According to him, the process would take years, if not decades.