TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday likened Alberta’s upcoming vote on potential independence to the United Kingdom’s Brexit decision, calling it a “dangerous bluff” with potentially far-reaching consequences.
Alberta’s Premier, Danielle Smith, announced last week that a vote is scheduled for October 19 to determine whether Alberta should remain part of Canada or pursue legal measures under the Constitution to facilitate a binding referendum on secession.
Carney, drawing from his experience as the Governor of the Bank of England during the 2016 Brexit referendum, issued a cautionary note. He was instrumental in guiding the central bank through the aftermath of Britain’s decision to exit the European Union.
“I witnessed firsthand the complexities in the UK when the assumption was, ‘Vote for this, it’ll be a soft exit, and then negotiations will follow,'” Carney explained. “A decade later, they’re still grappling with the unforeseen consequences of that vote.”
Smith’s political party did not campaign on or mention the possibility of a referendum during the last provincial election.
Carney criticized the proposed vote, arguing that it undermines efforts to attract investment to Canada and suggested that it could be seen as undemocratic.
“Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn’t. It wasn’t on the ballot paper,” Carney said.
Smith has said she supports Alberta remaining in Canada. Some have compared her stance to the one of Britain’s then-Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the Brexit referendum, which he embraced as a way to manage a vocal faction of his ruling party while not wanting the U.K. to leave the European Union.
Carney is working on getting a new oil pipeline built from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast. Many Albertans have long complained that Ottawa hasn’t done enough to get Alberta’s vast oil reserves to Asian markets.
“We have to be very careful about this. There’s a very strong positive case for Canada, a strong Alberta in a united Canada,” Carney said. “I look forward to making that case with many, many other Albertans and Canadians over the course of the next 150 days.”
Responding to Carney’s comments Monday, Smith said separation is an issue for Albertans alone to decide.
“Albertans’ frustrations have been fueled by the last 10 years of disastrous policies from Ottawa under … Justin Trudeau,” Smith said in a statement from her office, referencing the previous prime minister.
“I would also remind all Canadians that we should not dismiss the legitimate grievances of Albertans. Instead, we should focus on addressing these issues, restoring hope in Canada, and demonstrating that our country can work and is working.”
