Carney Urges Decisive 'No' Vote in Alberta Referendum as Federalist Leaders Rally in Calgary
Four days before Alberta's independence referendum, Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned in Calgary for a decisive rejection of separation. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also voiced support for federalism, while Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi criticized nine additional ballot questions as 'separation in slow motion.'
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Calgary on Thursday night, four days before Alberta’s referendum on independence, to campaign for a decisive "No" vote. Addressing the crowd, Carney stated that Canada is not perfect but is getting better, arguing that the country represents a promise greater than the sum of its parts. He called for a result large enough to settle the question of Alberta sovereignty within the 159-year-old Confederation, warning voters against using the referendum merely to send a message to Ottawa.
Most polls indicate that seven in ten Albertans would vote against separation. However, Carney emphasized the need for a wide margin of victory to prevent future referendums and avoid years of deep division and uncertainty. Naheed Nenshi, leader of the Alberta NDP, urged Carney to make the argument that "Canada works" and highlighted Alberta's record oil and gas production as evidence of the province's success within the federation.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also spoke in Calgary on Friday afternoon, voicing his support for federalism. Poilievre emphasized that remaining in Canada provides size, strength, and room to grow compared to isolation.
Beyond the question of independence, the referendum ballot includes nine other questions covering topics such as immigration and whether the Senate should be abolished. Nenshi described these nine additional ballot questions as "separation in slow motion," raising concerns about potential new conflicts between Alberta and the federal government depending on how those measures are received.