Smith repeats demands, creates ‘Alberta Next’ panel ahead of likely independence vote in 2026

Alberta is creating a new panel to discuss the province’s future within Canada and is creating a special negotiating team to square off against Ottawa ahead of an anticipated citizen-led referendum on independence next year.

Premier Danielle Smith made those announcements during a province-wide address via online streams Monday afternoon.

Smith spoke seated before a backdrop of Alberta and Canada flags and began her 18-minute speech by reciting a list of historical grievances against the federal government.

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While she said her government would not be putting forward a vote on separating from Canada, she acknowledged the likelihood of that happening in the future.

“We are well aware that there is a large and growing number of Albertans that have lost hope in Alberta having a free and prosperous future as a part of Canada. Many of these Albertans are organizing petitions to trigger a citizen-initiated referendum,” she said.

Last week, Smith’s government tabled Bill 54, which, among other things, lowers the signature threshold for a citizen initiative while also extending the timeline to get those signatures to 120 days from 90 days. The bill is awaiting second reading, which could come as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

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An independence vote could come as soon as next year as part of a broader series of votes on issues determined by a newly-appointed panel, dubbed Alberta Next.

Smith said she will chair the panel that will be made up of “our best and brightest judicial, academic and economic minds” that will host town halls to discuss what steps Alberta could take against Ottawa.

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“After the work of the panel is finished, it is likely we will place some of the more popular ideas discussed with the panel to a provincial referendum so that all Albertans can vote on them sometime in 2026.”

Smith added details on the panel’s scope and membership will be revealed “in the coming weeks.” The new panel appears to be similar to the “Fair Deal” panel struck by then-premier Jason Kenney in 2019, which consulted Albertans on “strategies to secure a fair deal in the Canadian federation and advance our vital economic interests.”

Until then, Smith said the province will continue to negotiate with Ottawa on a number of demands, which echo those she had already stated in March.

Those include ensuring Alberta’s access to tidewater for energy exports, lifting the tanker ban off the B.C. coast, eliminating the emissions cap, scrapping clean electricity regulations, and abandoning the net-zero car mandate, among others.

“We hope this will result in a binding agreement that Albertans can have confidence in. Call it an Alberta accord,” she said.

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“If these points can be agreed to by the federal government, I’m convinced it will not only make Alberta and Canada an infinitely stronger and more prosperous country, but will eliminate the doubts of a growing number of Albertans.”

Not the right approach: Nenshi

In his own statement late Monday afternoon, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi said while he agrees that Alberta needs a better deal on equalization and energy corridors to the coasts, “we will never achieve those things at the expense of this nation.”

Nenshi accused Smith of trying “to pick a fight.”

“The fight today is with President Trump, and we cannot win that fight battling Ottawa, our fellow Canadians, or our fellow Albertans,” he said.

“What Premier Danielle Smith said today was typical Danielle Smith.”

Nenshi encouraged the premier to oppose a separatist referendum.

Smith’s announcement comes a week after the federal Liberals, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, was re-elected in a vote where his party won two of Alberta’s 37 seats.

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Smith described her first post-election talk with Carney as positive, but on Monday noted, “Albertans are more of an action speak louder than words kind of people.”

In 2021, Alberta held a referendum on ending equalization, which was supported by 62 per cent of those who voted, though the result amounted to little tangible impact.

The premier’s office did not organize a news conference immediately following the announcement, though Smith is scheduled to speak with reporters at noon on Tuesday.

mblack@postmedia.com

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