Alberta votes on second independence referendum — The Guardian
Residents of Alberta, Canada, are voting on Monday in a referendum that is to determine whether the province should remain part of the country or hold a second referendum on independence, the result of which would be binding. The campaign has intensified political divisions in the region, including among supporters of secession, The Guardian reports.
Some separatists believe that leaving Canada would allow Alberta to remedy what they see as unfairness in its financial relations with Ottawa and make fuller use of its vast fossil fuel reserves. At the same time, provincial premier Danielle Smith, who called the referendum after pressure within her United Conservative Party, did not campaign for independence.
The cost of a possible exit
In June, Smith estimated the transition period in the event of secession at about C$400 billion, while the annual cost of establishing a new state would be C$25 billion to C$50 billion. The University of Calgary's School of Public Policy had previously said that costs could reach C$170 billion over five years and that the long-term consequences would be difficult to predict.
Former Alberta premiers Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley spoke out against independence. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who grew up in Alberta, visited Calgary and Edmonton last week and called for the country to remain united. He said that a vote against Canada could result in years of uncertainty and lost opportunities.
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Divisions in the separatist camp
Keith Wilson, one of the architects of the modern separatist movement, published a 214-page plan for Alberta's transition to independence and insists that the necessary steps can be taken. At the same time, Wildrose Independence Party member Bill Jones said that supporters of leaving are moving too quickly without the institutions needed for a new state, including their own police force and pension system.
In addition to the question of the province's status, nine more initiatives concerning social programs, the appointment of judges and the senate have been included on the ballot. Indigenous representatives succeeded in court in requiring Alberta's authorities either to abandon the original wording of the secession question or change it. They stressed that the territory of modern-day Alberta is covered by five treaties concluded with the Crown before the province was established.
On the eve of the vote, the mood of the campaign was also overshadowed by a fire at CFB Wainwright military base, which spread to a neighboring town. The Canadian Armed Forces reported several people killed and injured.
