Latest news with #secession
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How Trump has turbocharged a Canadian province's quest for independence
For Canadians, there's nothing new about a province contemplating secession. Two referendums on Quebec's potential independence – in 1980 and 1995 – brought the country uncomfortably close to the precipice. Today, it's not Quebec but the oil-rich western province of Alberta that is chafing under the constraints of Canadian confederation. US president Donald Trump's tariffs and comments about turning Canada into the 51st state have set in motion a chain of political events that will probably result in a referendum on Albertan independence sometime in 2026. Conservative political leaders in Alberta have traditionally stoked resentment of the federal government in Ottawa without crossing the line to advocate separation. The grievances are largely economic and in recent years have focused on environmental policies. The Conservative-led Alberta provincial government has portrayed these policies as hostile to the oil and gas industry, and consequently an attack on the province's affluence and identity. The current Alberta premier, Danielle Smith, has opened the door to a referendum by lowering the threshold for a citizen initiative to hold a referendum to a mere 10% of the votes cast in the most recent election. In practice this means that gathering just 177,000 signatures would be enough to put the measure before voters next year. Although Smith claims to want a united Canada, her actions have empowered separatists, who have busily begun collecting names of those willing to sign the petition. Separatism had previously been relegated to the fringes of Alberta's politics. Every provincial election features a few small separatist parties running candidates and winning few votes. In fact, the idea of separation garners more public support than the parties advocating for it. This support tends to follow national Liberal party wins. Until recently, the high-water mark had been about 30% support after the 2019 federal election, when the re-election of tJustin Trudeau's Liberals sparked the Wexit movement, but it then ebbed as the pandemic disrupted politics. If, as had been expected, the Conservatives had won the 2025 federal election, the Alberta separatist movement would have remained on the fringe. Instead, Trump's musings about Canada becoming the 51st state upended Canadian politics, allowing the Mark Carney-led Liberal party a miraculous political recovery. Predictably, after a Liberal win in the national general election, support for separation has once again increased in Alberta, this time to 36%, according to a recent Angus Reid poll. The separatist impulse in Alberta is closely tied to partisan politics. For all but four of the past 50 years, the province has been governed by a conservative party. In federal elections, around two-thirds of Alberta voters support the federal conservative party. (Provincial and federal conservative parties consider themselves part of the same movement, but are not formally affiliated.) The separatist movement occupies the far right of the political spectrum and its supporters are overwhelmingly conservative. Recent polling shows that many Albertans who would consider separation would change their view if the national-level Conservative party formed a federal government, or even if the federal government were to agree to some of Alberta's demands for building pipelines and dropping environmental regulations. In this regard, separatist sentiment looks more like an expression of frustration with Canadian politics than a movement that truly aspires to form a new sovereign state. However, Trump's comments about the country's future have altered the terrain for this vote. Proponents of independence no longer have to make the case that Alberta could 'go it alone' as a country. Instead, they allude to Trump's invitation to statehood. Recognising the potential of the moment, one of the fringe parties advocating for Alberta's independence has renamed itself in preparation for its desired future: the former Buffalo party of Alberta is now the Republican party of Alberta, ready to don a red baseball cap and make America great by adding Alberta to its union. These sympathies aren't restricted to fringe parties either. Many in the Alberta provincial conservative base identify with Trump's Maga movement. The imagined grievances that animate Maga are reflected in some of the party's policy agenda. In recent months, it has placed strict limits on the development of renewable energy, amended the Human Rights Act to protect freedom not to vaccinate, and limited transgender rights and medical treatment. Trump's expansionist desires do more than answer the practical questions of how Alberta would govern itself. They may also offer meaningful support to the independence campaign. Just as Russia intervened to bolster support for Brexit, we can expect some US interests to lend support to the Alberta secessionists. Even with these interventions, a majority vote to support independence is unlikely. A solid majority of Albertans have no desire to contemplate separation from Canada. A conversation about the practicalities of secession would probably dissuade many voters from casting a ballot to leave. Even if a majority of voters supported it, there is no clear path to statehood. First, all of the province is treaty land, meaning its status is granted by agreements signed between the federal government of Canada and the Indigenous peoples of the territory now called Alberta in the late 1800s. Indigenous leaders from the three treaty organisations assert that Alberta cannot unilaterally extinguish their agreements with the Canadian state by voting to secede. And also, after the close outcome in the 1995 Quebec secession referendum, the federal parliament passed the Clarity Act, which gives it authority to determine in advance whether a referendum question is clear and establish the threshold for a clear outcome. If these tests are passed, then the province seeking to leave enters into a constitutional negotiation with the federal government. With majority support for remaining within Canada, significant objections by Indigenous communities and a high threshold imposed by the Clarity Act, the impending vote on separation is unlikely to result in a quick exit from Canada. Why, then, would the provincial government pave the way for a referendum? Perhaps as a means of improving the province's negotiating stance. Perhaps to allow an activist fringe to blow off steam. Whatever the reason, the referendum poses significant risks for the province. It is likely to exacerbate political tensions, pitting separatists against federalists. It is likely to drive investment in sectors other than oil and gas out of the province, making economic diversification more difficult. It also draws the Trump administration's attention to the province, inviting unpredictable interventions. Premier Smith and the proponents of Albertan separation have drawn a dubious lesson from Quebec's sovereignty referendums. They believe that Quebec's credible threat of separation has empowered it within the Canadian federation, and they seek to emulate its 'win'. This view ignores what decades of separatist foment have cost Quebec, from an exodus of head offices from the province to a politics focused primarily on the question of secession. By opening the door to a referendum on separation, Alberta's government has invited similar uncertainty and conflict that could dominate its politics for years. Lisa Young is professor of political science at the University of Calgary
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Now conservative Canadian province is looking to secede from its liberal-leaning neighbors
A conservative Canadian province plans to secede from its liberal-learning neighbors, and some residents are even open to becoming the 51st American state. Alberta, a western province known for its oil and gas resources, has just about had it with the overwhelmingly liberal country - especially since a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, took office. The area, often referred to as 'Canada's Texas' because of its political views and oil industry, is home to a small batch of conservatives who have recently gained momentum amidst Trump's controversial call for the US to take over Canada. Despite Carney being from Alberta, he plans to continue on the same path as his predecessor Justin Trudeau and not allow the US leader to take control of the country or allow provinces to separate. But now that the liberal movement continues in Canada, many of Alberta's about five million residents feel that they are different enough from the rest of the country to branch off on their own. 'If there was a referendum on it, I would not hesitate to say separation,' Bob Gablehaus, a local resident and retired government worker, told The New York Times. 'I don't like the way the liberals treat Western Canada. I think it's unfair,' he added. Gablehaus is not the only one who believes the province could be better off leaving the rest of the county behind as approximately 30 percent of Albertans were in favor of independence if the liberals won a fourth time in office, according to polling numbers before the election. When Trudeau was in office, many Alberta residents disliked his climate-focused agenda because they said it limited the province's ability to make money through the export of its minerals and fossil fuel. Danielle Smith, also known as Alberta's 'MAGA-style conservative leader,' is not in favor of Alberta seceding, but plans on negotiating the province's relationship with Ottawa's federal government to untangle the area's oil industry. Despite not being in favor of it, Smith said her conditions will most likely lead to a vote about where Alberta stands in the country. Now that there has also been a change in Canada's leadership, Smith said it is the perfect opportunity for her to talk to the federal government about her ideas. Without waiting a full 24 hours to present her conditions to Carney, she introduced a new bill that would make it easier for citizens to launch a referendum. 'The federal government has taken hostile actions against Alberta and against the Constitution and against our right to develop our resources,' Smith told the outlet. The new rules she's presented will drastically slash the amount of signatures needed from 600,000 to 177,000, and will also give petitioners an additional month to get people to sign. 'The world looks at us like we've lost our minds,' she told Albertans this month. 'We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth, and yet we land lock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch. 'For Albertans, these attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable,' she continued. Some groups have already collected thousands of signatures, including Dennis Modry, the founder of a volunteer organization leading a referendum campaign known as the Alberta Prosperity Project. 'It's a very serious turning point,' the retired surgeon said, adding that he has so far gathered about 240,000 signatures. Similarly, Sean Fuller, a tattoo artist located in Leduc, Alberta, said many people feel like they 'are Ottawa's piggy bank.' 'Ottawa needs a wake-up call from Alberta. Most of us feel like we are Ottawa's piggy bank and we don't get anything in return for that,' Fuller explained. 'Maybe, if there is enough political noise over here, maybe Carney's new government will have to pay attention.' One resident, Paulette McCulloch, has even been selling 'Alberta, U.S.A' merchandise, including baseball caps and mugs, to spread her support for the province to break free. 'We're being abused badly,' the 83-year-old said. 'We've got to do something about it.' While many are for Alberta seceding, the push for a referendum on the topic is infuriating Indigenous people who live there. Several First Nations leaders have rejected Smith's proposal, accusing her of violating their rights and sparking a nation unity crisis, the New York Times reported. Carney has long made it clear how he feels about separatism as he has tried to steer his country into a better place, especially with the ongoing trade war brought on by Trump. 'Canada is stronger when we work together. As an Albertan, I firmly believe that you can always ask a question, but I know what I would respond,' he said following his first official visit to the White House this month. Others have opted to give Carney a chance and see if he will truly better the country. Doug Hayden is one of those people, as he credited Carney and his liberal team for ending an unfavored carbon tax on consumers that was introduced by Trudeau's administration. 'He changed relatively quickly. These two parties probably have more in common than they have differences,' Hayden said.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
The Texas of Canada Plans a Long-Shot Bid to Secede
Just as Canada tries to exit one crisis, another one looms. The country is finding its footing after a protracted political transition to a new leader, amid President Trump's tariffs and sovereignty threats. But now the western province of Alberta is laying the groundwork to hold a referendum asking voters whether they support seceding from Canada. While the likelihood of such a divorce ever happening is slim — Canada's Constitution would have to be amended, among other obstacles — the momentum to put the question on the ballot points to deep grievances bubbling to the surface. (Some Albertans actually prefer becoming a U.S. state). Many Albertans have long felt disgruntled with their place in Canada's federal system, which they see as unfairly limiting the province's vast oil-and-gas resources while dutifully collecting taxes. The province, often referred to as 'Canada's Texas' because its oil and politics, is home to a small but dedicated minority of separatists. Their voice has been amplified in part because of Mr. Trump's calls to annex Canada and by the re-election of a Liberal federal government, which many in traditionally conservative Alberta view as hostile to their concerns. (A longstanding secessionist movement in the French-speaking province of Quebec has lost steam in recent months. Its most recent referendum, in 1995, narrowly failed to win a majority in favor of breaking away from Canada.) Just weeks after the Liberal Party's re-election for a fourth term under a new, centrist prime minister, Mark Carney, Alberta is hurtling toward a referendum over whether to break away from Canada. The key argument behind the movement is that Alberta is different enough from the rest of Canada, including in its conservative tilt and resource wealth, to go it alone. In the aftermath of the federal election, conversations from the airwaves to the dinner tables have been dominated by talk of secession. 'If there was a referendum on it, I would not hesitate to say separation,' Bob Gablehaus said over drinks with friends on a pub patio in Bragg Creek, a hamlet in the Rocky Mountain foothills. 'I don't like the way the Liberals treat Western Canada,' said Mr. Gablehaus, a retired government worker. 'I think it's unfair.' Polling conducted before the April federal election suggested that about 30 percent of Albertans thought independence was a good idea if the Liberals secured a fourth term in office. Historical surveys show that committed, hard-core separatists, rather than voters just seeking to vent frustration or responding to short-term factors, are significantly fewer. But referendums can provide opportunities for people to vent, and sometimes form unexpected majorities — as Britain found out when it held its Brexit vote to leave the European Union. A premier's gambit Danielle Smith, Alberta's MAGA-style conservative leader, says she is not personally in favor of Alberta breaking away from Canada. She says she is seeking leverage to radically renegotiate Alberta's relationship with the federal government in Ottawa, primarily to unshackle the province's oil industry from regulations meant to address climate change. But she has handcrafted the conditions that will likely lead to the referendum. The province of five million residents, Canada's fourth-most populous, is home to the country's lucrative oil and gas industry, whose products are mostly exported to the United States. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promoted climate-focused policies like emission caps and strict environmental assessments over his decade in office. Critics say that these limited Alberta's ability to fully extract and export its mineral and fossil fuel wealth. Many Albertans accuse Mr. Trudeau's Liberal government of holding them back, and see the change in the country's leadership as Ms. Smith's opportunity to grab the attention of the newly formed federal government. She did not wait a full 24 hours after Mr. Carney's election on April 28 to fire her opening salvo. The next day, she introduced a bill, which the province's legislature recently passed, making it much easier for a citizens' movement to trigger a referendum. 'The federal government has taken hostile actions against Alberta and against the Constitution and against our right to develop our resources,' Ms. Smith said as she promoted the bill, listing nine energy laws she wanted changed to 'reset' Alberta's relationship with the federal government. The new rules drastically lower the bar for constitutional referendum petitions, in part by slashing the number of citizens' signatures required for a referendum, from 600,000 signatures to about 177,000. They also give petitioners an extra month to collect signatures, increasing the window from 90 days to 120. It's hard to overstate how central oil is to Ms. Smith's move to engineer the conditions for a separation referendum. 'The world looks at us like we've lost our minds,' she said in an address to Albertans this month. 'We have the most abundant and accessible natural resources of any country on earth, and yet we land lock them, sell what we do produce to a single customer to the south of us, while enabling polluting dictatorships to eat our lunch.' 'For Albertans, these attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable,' she added. Citizen groups have already collected thousands of signatures. Dennis Modry, a retired surgeon and a founder of a volunteer group leading a referendum campaign called the Alberta Prosperity Project, said it had gathered about 240,000 signatures. 'It's a very serious turning point,' he said. A new leader's pivot For Mr. Carney, talk of separatism is a problem he can do without as he tries to steer Canada to safer waters in the country's rift with the United States under Mr. Trump. But he knows how crucial the moment is for Alberta, and for Canada. Mr. Carney, a native of Alberta, has stepped carefully in his public statements, making sure not to come across as dismissive of the province's resentment toward Ottawa. 'Canada is stronger when we work together,' he said this month following his first official visit to the White House. 'As an Albertan, I firmly believe that you can always ask a question, but I know what I would respond.' Mr. Carney's own ideological preferences over the role of oil and gas in climate change are an important backdrop — and one he seems aware of, too. In recent years, after a career in central banking and the private sector, Mr. Carney became something of an evangelist for sustainable finance, investing and fund-raising for projects geared toward fighting climate change. Mr. Carney has so far made generally pro-energy statements, although he's not committed to implementing the pro-oil policies Ms. Smith is demanding. Some are willing to give him a chance, for now. 'He changed relatively quickly,' said Doug Hayden, a real estate developer in Calgary who gives Mr. Carney and the Liberals credit for pivoting to the political center and ending an unpopular carbon tax on consumers introduced by Mr. Trudeau's government. 'These two parties probably have more in common now than they have differences.' But it's not just separatists who agree with Ms. Smith that Ottawa needs the shock that a referendum could deliver. 'Ottawa needs a wake-up call from Alberta,' said Sean Fuller, a tattoo artist in Leduc, Alberta. 'Most of us feel like we are Ottawa's piggy bank and we don't get anything in return for that. Maybe, if there is enough political noise over here, maybe Carney's new government will have to pay attention.' Talk of a 51st state Mr. Trump's talk of making Canada the 51st state has a small number of Albertans excited. For them, separation from Canada could mean joining Mr. Trump's United States, which they think is better aligned with their values. Beside complaints about not reaping the benefits of its vast energy resources, Alberta has diverged from Canada on culture-war social issues, especially regarding vaccines during the pandemic, with many accusing the federal government of imposing public health mandates that restricted their freedom. That's when Paulette McCulloch said she started understanding the case for Alberta to join the United States. Ms. McCulloch, 83, moved into a motor home after her husband's death and since the pandemic has been driving around shopping plazas across the province selling 'Alberta, U.S.A.' mugs, baseball caps, flags and bumper stickers. 'We're being abused badly,' said Ms. McCulloch, while her R.V. was parked on a buffalo ranch in Camrose, Alberta, where she had been invited by organizers of a group seeking to make Alberta a U.S. state. 'We've got to do something about it.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's proposed PBS and NPR budget cuts will damage excellence in broadcasting
Dear Canada ― it's Michigan here, and we have a proposal for you. We would like to secede from the U.S. and become your eleventh province. Heck, we'd even settle for fourth territory. As your next-door neighbors, you already know us well. And we have so much in common — Lake Huron, Lake Superior the Ambassador Bridge, as well as Gordie Howe and his bridge. Once we join the family, you won't have to worry about the cost of car parts crossing those bridges. You will get loads of great cherries, plenty of milk, Vernors ginger ale and the whole Better Made snack line. Furthermore, nowhere else can you get two peninsulas in a single deal. On a practical level, this would be more efficient than building a wall to keep us out. And wouldn't it be fun to beat President Donald Trump at his own game? Think about it. Your neighbor, Susan Ewart Lansing More letters: With 2027 NFL draft set for DC, will Trump push league to abandon diversity rule? I'm surprised Trump hasn't banned the Bible from government libraries. Probably because he's never read it and doesn't know how woke it is, and that by his definition, Jesus was a loser. Bill Richardson Riverview Canada can be a US state, but we're gonna need some syrup | Letters US may become 11th Canada province but its going to require a lot of apologizing | Letters Robert Rolls' letter lacked insight into what a president's role is. ("U-M President Santa Ono lacked the stomach to stick around," Detroit Free Press, May 6). Leadership. Ono was a one-of-a-kind leader who was recognized by many, and this was shown by his contract extension. It was not enough, though. The U-M Board of Regents had to butt into the president's role of leadership. In so doing, they forced a quality leader to move on. Thank you, (U-M Regents) Mark Bernstein and Jordan Acker. Rolls likes to portray Ono as a scared, shallow leader, which is far from the truth. It is not necessary to pick fights that need not be. Michael L. Kruchkow Gladwin, Michigan It's baffling that public broadcasting is under attack. Recent attempts to cancel federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which partially funds PBS and NPR) will damage a national organization devoted to excellence in delivering high-quality news and information access. CPB employs a long form news format that is factual, balanced, highly trusted, and very strong in its local programming emphasis. Imputations that NPR and PBS are somehow politically biased are unfounded, as demonstrated by Federal Election Commission unanimously dismissing a recent complaint of bias and illegal electioneering against NPR, finding the network engaged in a "legitimate press function." And it's incredibly cheap. Efforts to cancel CPB funding are especially confounding considering CPB serves 99% of the U.S. population, yet federal funding for public media accounts for less than 0.01% of the federal budget, amounting to about $1.60 per person per year. This is decimal dust. CPB is an amazing value. Excellence should be rewarded, not harmed. Bob Santer Northville President Donald Trump's decision to cave to roll back PFAS protections for drinking water is a shameful and dangerous capitulation to industry pressure that puts Michiganders lives at risk, as PFAS has been linked to a wide array of health problems including cancer, low birth weights, and reduced vaccine response. ('Trump administration rolls back some PFAS standards in drinking water, delays others,' May 14, Detroit Free Press.) With more drastic cuts to the EPA proposed, key Michigan members of Congress like U.S. Rep. John James have remained silent. Make no mistake: Siding with Trump and the polluters over Michiganders will have grave consequences. Alex Beauchamp The writer is the Northern Region Director of Food & Water Watch and a resident of Grosse Pointe Farms Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. If you have a differing view from a letter writer, please feel free to submit a letter of your own in response. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access with a Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump, Canada, PFAS, PBS, U-M, NPR | Letters
Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
The oil-rich Canadian cowboys who want their own kind of Brexit
Many of the Albertans who have concluded the province must secede from Canada contemplate the potential breakup of their country with regret, if not outright grief. Not so Ron Robertson. The retired police detective and leader of the Independence Party looks forward to the day Alberta, an energy powerhouse often compared to Texas, is unshackled from the rest of the nation. His quixotic vision, sketched out to The Times over lunch at a Thai restaurant in a small prairie town, is not as outlandish as it once seemed. Discontent with Canada's political elite has long festered in the western provinces, where residents complain of neglect from the establishment back east, but the oilmen, cowboys and cattle ranchers in Alberta's secessionist movement have been invigorated by
