‘Not as long as I’m premier’: Danielle Smith rules out 2nd separation referendum if Albertans vote to remain

‘Not as long as I’m premier’: Danielle Smith rules out 2nd separation referendum if Albertans vote to remain

Alberta would ‘pursue other things’ if immigration, constitutional questions rejected

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was definitive Friday when asked whether she’d commit to not holding another referendum on Alberta separation should a majority of Albertans vote to remain in Canada on Oct. 19.

“Not as long as I’m premier,” Smith told CBC News’ chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault during a one-on-one interview in Calgary.

The premier’s line in the sand comes a little more than a week before Albertans will vote on 10 questions, including whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or whether it should begin the process to hold a second, binding referendum on separating from the country.

And it conflicts with the positioning of Alberta separatist leaders, many of whom say that they won’t give up the fight even if the vote goes against them.

'Never giving up': Alberta separatist leaders say referendum vote won't end their fight

There will also be five questions tied to immigration and four tied to Canada’s Constitution.

On Thursday, Smith wasn’t clear on what she considers a strong mandate or threshold for the other nine questions. She has previously said 50 per cent plus one was what she considered a threshold for the separatism question.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took questions from CBC News’ chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault on Friday, with the Alberta referendum a little more than one week away. (Jared Thomas/CBC News)

Asked again by Arsenault on Friday about the percentage for the other nine questions, Smith said “majority rule” seems to be the way most decisions are made.

“If they’re rejected, then you know what? I guess we’ll have to pursue other things,” Smith said. “Find out other things that Albertans are concerned about.”

Smith rules out 2nd Alberta referendum: 'Not as long as I'm premier'

Pollsters have said that numbers on the separatism question have largely been baked-in for years. A recent poll done for CBC News suggested 23 per cent of respondents said they’d vote to start the legal process to hold a binding referendum, while 72 per cent said they’d vote to remain in Canada.

But polls attempting to sort out support for the nine other questions have been decidedly more uncertain.

Albertans divided on immigration, while half still undecided on 9 non-separation questions: poll

While a significant majority of Albertans polled have said they’re in favour of remaining in Canada, the same is not true of members of Smith’s United Conservative Party.

Polling has suggested that among those who said they’d vote for the UCP, 53 per cent said they’d vote for the separation option, while 40 per cent said they’d vote to stay in Canada.

Smith has also recently seen one of her caucus members, Red Deer-South UCP MLA Jason Stephan, say that he voted in favour of the separation option on the ballot. A UCP riding association in southern Alberta also formally urged a party vote to review the premier’s leadership.

Jason Stephan, a member of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP caucus, said he voted in favour of proceeding with a legally binding referendum on whether Alberta should leave Canada during a recent town hall. (Lina Elsaadi/CBC)

Smith said that over the past months, she has been working hard to convince more people to vote to remain in Canada.

She said that, given constructive co-operation with Prime Minister Mark Carney, “Canada is working better than it ever has,” highlighting the West Coast pipeline, officially known as Pacific Link, as well as the repeal of various federal laws.

While she said she speaks to those who disagree with her, Smith said that doesn’t include some separatist leaders.

“As you've probably seen, I'm kind of public enemy number one for that group,” Smith said. “They don't like the fact that I've taken such a strong position on remain. So no, I'm not in contact with any of them.”

Smith says she's ‘public enemy No. 1’ to some separatists

One of those independence advocates, Jeffrey Rath, told the fifth estate that to get the referendum they want, UCP separatists must get rid of Smith “sooner rather than later,” and proceed to “have a special general meeting of the party to vote on her leadership the same way we did with [former Alberta premier] Jason Kenney."

The Alberta question: How separatists took hold of the province’s governing party

A citizen-led petition on separation, led by Stay Free Alberta, was quashed by a judge earlier this year. Justice Shaina Leonard ruled that Alberta's chief electoral officer made errors in approving the petition and that separation would violate First Nations treaty rights.

The government, as well as separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre, are appealing that decision.

With the appeals still pending. the Alberta government added its own separation question to the referendum ballot in May.

You can see more of Arsenault's interview with Smith tonight on The National.

Joel is a reporter/editor with CBC Calgary. In fall 2021, he spent time with CBC's bureau in Lethbridge. He was previously the editor of the Airdrie City View and Rocky View Weekly newspapers. He hails from Swift Current, Sask. Reach him by email at joel.dryden@cbc.ca

With files from CBC's Adrienne Arsenault