Wab Kinew Challenges Danielle Smith Over October Referendum — Bc Premier
Manitoba bc premier Wab Kinew confronted Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at a western premiers' meeting in Kananaskis, Alta., on Tuesday and urged her to stop the planned referendum on whether Alberta should remain in Canada.
He said he had met with First Nations leaders before the meeting and carried their concerns into his exchange with Smith. Kinew told the closing news conference, "It is up to you, as the Alberta government, to fulfill the duty to consult".
Kananaskis meeting exchange
Kinew also pressed Smith to slow the pace of the plan, telling her, "Why don’t we hold off on this referendum talk for a year or two and see if we get these pipelines under construction?" He added, "Now is the time to work together".
Later, he said, "What I think is important for us to say when we hear the sorts of discussion happening here in Alberta is for us to say, ‘Okay, thank you First Nations in Alberta for hitting the pause button on this.’ Now the rest of Canada, let’s work together and show Alberta just how appreciated they are."
October referendum plan
Smith announced less than a week earlier that Alberta would hold an October referendum asking voters to choose between remaining in Canada or moving forward with a second, binding referendum on separation. The planned vote has drawn criticism from political leaders across the country, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, who called it "undemocratic" in Ottawa on Tuesday.
A court ruling already threw out a citizen-initiated petition for a separation referendum in part because the government did not consult with First Nations before Alberta's elections agency approved the question. Smith said the government would appeal the ruling.
Courts and First Nations
At the same news conference, Kinew said, "I think we know that that is not correct, a lot of what you just said there, Premier Smith," before returning to the duty-to-consult issue. Smith replied, "This is why we have the courts, because you can have politicians disagree, and th".
The clash leaves Alberta's October referendum plan facing pressure from First Nations concerns, court action and criticism from other premiers. Smith tied her dispute with Kinew to the courts, making that legal path the next place the fight is likely to move.
