Alberta Premier Smith blames B.C. for stoking separatist flames

It’s not me. It’s you.

That’s the message from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to B.C. Premier David Eby as the two attend the Western Premiers’ Meeting in Kananaskis.

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The pair is duking it out over proposed pipelines, the economy, and Alberta’s referendum on a referendum to potentially leave Canada — a vote that will take place this fall.

“It empowers the people who would break our country up and sell us for parts.”

Smith is pushing back against widespread criticism of the vote, but she says people who want to leave the country have a right to be heard. While making that argument, she also took a shot at B.C., saying numerous premiers over the years, including Eby, have fed separatist anger over the Rockies by refusing to support pipelines.

“In the spirit of collaboration, that’s the attitude all premiers should take to this — that they don’t own the ports. And with a co-operative federalism that we have, we have to work together to get our products to market, so I’ve made that case with the current premier, and I’ll continue to make that case to him, and I hope we’re able to have a really constructive conversation,” said Smith.

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Alberta currently has a plan to build a pipeline to the B.C. coast on the table with the federal government. Eby says B.C. was never asked to provide input. Despite that, Smith also pushed back against Prime Minister Mark Carney, who, on May 25, said using the idea of a separation as leverage for future negotiations at a federal level is a “dangerous bluff.”

Carney was also clear that he’ll campaign for national unity, but Smith isn’t having it.

“I’d remind the prime minister, we have laws in our province around citizen-initiated referendums, just as British Columbia does, and just as Saskatchewan does. We had 400,000 people sign a petition saying they wanted to vote to remain, and 300,000 sign a petition saying they wanted to vote to leave. That’s 700,000 people who have asked for this to be publicly debated and put on the ballot.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he won’t criticize Smith and believes she’s playing by the rules.

“She’s following the law,” said Moe.

“She has 400,000 who have suggested one question, 300,000 on another. There are some legalities that are going to work their way through there. However, this is not a separation referendum, but a citizen-initiative legislation requires that government move forward when those parameters are hit.”

Eby says he doesn’t buy it, and thinks the timing couldn’t be worse.

“To say this is the worst time to be testing the bonds that hold this country together is a significant understatement,” said Eby.

“It threatens our national economy. It empowers the people who would break our country up and sell us for parts. When Canadians sing, ‘We stand on guard for thee,’ I think Canadians mean it, and I think they’re doing it in their daily lives, and I think it’s inspirational and has been inspirational. We do it to make sure the ‘true north’ is ‘strong and free,’ and that’s what we’re going to do. And I hope that’s what we can leave this meeting committing to, as premiers in this crucial moment for our country.”

He also noted pressure on Canada from the U.S. administration to become the 51st state — something Carney has been adamant will not happen.

Last week, Smith announced that Albertans will be asked this October if they want to remain in Canada or start the process to hold a binding referendum on separation.

—With files from The Canadian Press