Alberta's referendum is a test of whether Canada can govern without buying votes
Ten questions, one ballot, and a unity pitch from two leaders who rarely agree. The real question is who pays for the answer.
By Claire NorthMarkets and liberty columnist
On Monday, Albertans will walk into voting stations and answer ten questions that could reshape the province's relationship with the rest of Canada. The most dramatic asks whether Alberta should remain part of Canada or begin the legal process toward a binding separation referendum. The other nine cover immigration and constitutional change. It is a lot to put on one ballot, and it is worth asking what problem this referendum actually solves.
The political scene is unusual. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith, who have spent much of the past year on opposite sides of federal-provincial fights, appeared together at pro-unity rallies in Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton. Carney urged Albertans to vote to remain in Canada. Smith, who has built her political career on threatening to leave it, stood beside him and made the same case. That alone tells you how seriously Ottawa is taking this vote.
