TORONTO — On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney likened Alberta’s upcoming independence vote to the Brexit situation, describing it as a potentially “perilous gamble.”
Alberta’s Premier, Danielle Smith, recently announced that on October 19, the province, known for its rich oil reserves, will decide whether to remain part of Canada or initiate constitutional measures for a binding referendum on secession.
Drawing from his Brexit experience, Carney, who served as the governor of the Bank of England during the UK’s 2016 decision to exit the European Union, shared insights from guiding the central bank through that turbulent period.
“I witnessed the aftermath in the UK when the sentiment was, ‘Vote for this, it will be straightforward, and then we’ll negotiate,'” Carney explained. “A decade later, they’re still grappling with unintended consequences that voters didn’t anticipate but are now facing.”
Notably, Smith’s party did not include any mention of a referendum in their platform during the last provincial election.
Carney said the vote is not helpful when he’s trying to attract investment to Canada. He suggested it is 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.”