Canada's Alberta premier says separation referendum possible in 2026
OTTAWA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Monday she would hold a referendum on provincial separation next year if citizens gather the required signatures on a petition, local media reported.
Smith, in a livestream address, said she wants a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada but the voices of those unhappy with Confederation are not fringe extremists and must be listened to, according to The Canadian Press.
Her speech came a week after Smith's United Conservative government introduced legislation that, if passed, will sharply reduce the bar petitioners need to meet to trigger a provincial referendum.
Smith said the federal Liberal policies and laws have not only taken an unfair share of Alberta's wealth but in doing so have also undermined the oil and gas industry that drives its economy, reported The Canadian Press.
She will negotiate an end to some of these federal policies while also hosting a series of town halls to hear ideas and grievances from Albertans while some of those ideas may also find their way into referendum questions, said the report.
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