Juno News - May 11, 2025


First Nations can’t veto Alberta separation vote


Episode Stats

Length

16 minutes

Words per Minute

143.03134

Word Count

2,385

Sentence Count

117

Misogynist Sentences

1

Hate Speech Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Legal experts told True North that First Nations do not have the power to block a citizen-led Alberta separation referendum, even if treaty rights are involved.
00:00:19.940 Premier Danielle Smith responds to outrage from treaty chiefs and defends her government's approach, stating that Indigenous rights will be respected, but democratic processes will continue.
00:00:31.180 Smith also told Ontario Premier Doug Ford to butt out of Alberta's affairs after he criticized Western separatism.
00:00:38.860 Meanwhile, NDP leader Nahid Nenshi launched a campaign accusing Smith of promoting separation, with similar pushback from Smith's Western colleague.
00:00:47.520 However, Quebec's Sovereignist praised her for standing up to Ottawa.
00:00:52.040 Plus, True North has compiled a list of the key players organizing the push for independence, from grassroots groups to political parties.
00:01:00.600 My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup. We'll cover all of these stories and more today.
00:01:06.260 Let's hop into that first exclusive now.
00:01:08.340 Despite fierce criticism from Indigenous leaders and the Alberta NDP, legal experts say Indigenous leaders and communities cannot block a province-wide vote on separation.
00:01:18.480 Canadian Constitution Foundation lawyer Josh DeHaas told True North there's nothing in the law that would give First Nations veto power over a referendum or the negotiations that would follow.
00:01:28.740 He said, quote,
00:01:30.200 There is nothing I'm aware of that would suggest that First Nations people could prevent those discussions from taking place.
00:01:36.920 Even where treaties exist within Canada, the law is clear.
00:01:40.000 That it is the crown that is sovereign and holds the underlying title to all of the land.
00:01:44.260 DeHaas cited the Supreme Court of Canada's 1998 Quebec secession reference, noting that a successful referendum on a clear question
00:01:52.520 would trigger a constitutional obligation for Ottawa and the provinces to negotiate the terms of separation.
00:01:59.080 The legal clarification followed an emergency meeting of Treaty 6, 7, and 8 chiefs on Tuesday.
00:02:05.920 During the meeting, Indigenous leaders denounced Smith and Bill 54, the legislation that lowers the bar for citizen-initiated referenda,
00:02:14.360 and lays the groundwork for a potential 2026 vote on Alberta's independence.
00:02:18.540 However, Smith said her government is still many steps away from any potential vote and would not support any referendum question that infringes on treaty rights.
00:02:28.940 At a Tuesday press conference, Smith said, quote,
00:02:32.260 You can't vote away treaty rights. You can't vote away Indigenous rights.
00:02:36.140 You can't have a referendum on things that are enshrined in our various constitutional conventions and laws and court decisions.
00:02:43.280 While Smith made it clear that her government would not put forward an independence vote,
00:02:47.040 Quote, she said she would respect a citizen-led initiative if it met the 177,000 signature threshold under the new legislation.
00:02:55.520 Constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson has also been outspoken about the impact of First Nations groups if a referendum vote were to occur.
00:03:03.180 He said, quote,
00:03:04.320 Respectfully, the chiefs would benefit from legal advice. They don't have a veto on whether Alberta separates.
00:03:10.380 Wilson noted that Indigenous communities could choose whether to maintain their current treaty arrangements with Ottawa,
00:03:16.400 transition to new treaties with the sovereign Alberta,
00:03:19.060 or negotiate an entirely new framework but only if separation occurs.
00:03:23.840 He clearly outlined the legal separation process in several of his posts to X.
00:03:28.480 Firstly, any eligible voter would be able to vote in an independence referendum with no person or group receiving special treatment.
00:03:36.360 Upon a successful vote, the province of Alberta, First Nations from Alberta, the other provinces,
00:03:42.180 and the federal government are all legally required to engage in good-faith negotiations to establish terms.
00:03:48.560 Therefore, the First Nations would be able to remain with Canada and maintain the status quo,
00:03:53.540 request that the new independent Alberta take them with the existing treaties,
00:03:57.000 or negotiate new treaties with Alberta.
00:03:59.780 The First Nations would make this decision for themselves.
00:04:03.300 Wilson added that thanks to the 1930 Natural Resource Transfer Agreement,
00:04:07.920 the government of Alberta owns almost all of the land and oil and gas in Alberta.
00:04:12.480 A spokesperson for Smith told True North that she has stated unequivocally
00:04:16.380 that she would commit to protecting, upholding, and honoring the rights of First Nations, MĂ©tis, and Inuit people.
00:04:22.720 Smith said, quote,
00:04:24.040 Any citizen-initiated referendum question must not violate the constitutional rights of First Nations, MĂ©tis, and Inuit peoples
00:04:31.620 and must uphold and honor treaties 6, 7, and 8 should any referendum question ever pass.
00:04:38.580 This is non-negotiable.
00:04:40.360 For our next story, we'll cover Smith's defense from Eastern backlash over separation talks.
00:04:45.780 Now, you might think this was from Ottawa, but it was actually Ontario Premier Doug Ford who was coming at Smith.
00:04:52.240 She told him to mind his own business.
00:04:54.920 Smith said, quote,
00:04:56.160 I don't tell him how he should run his province, and I would hope that he doesn't tell me how I should run mine.
00:05:01.580 But we have a very respectful relationship, and I hope that continues.
00:05:05.580 Smith threw a subtle shot right back at Ford.
00:05:07.960 She said, quote,
00:05:09.540 In fact, I think we supported different people in the last federal election,
00:05:14.080 suggesting that Ford, despite being a conservative premier, might have voted for Mark Carney.
00:05:19.480 Smith's response came after Ford targeted the independence movement.
00:05:23.580 He said, quote,
00:05:24.420 This is a time to unite the country, not people saying, oh, I'm leaving the country.
00:05:28.940 As of right now, Smith predicted that just over 30% of Albertans would support a separation referendum.
00:05:35.720 While it was initially expected that a separation referendum could occur at Alberta's next municipal elections in October 2025,
00:05:43.020 Smith revealed this was unlikely given the new 120-day collection period up from the previous 90.
00:05:49.400 She pledged that Albertans would see a referendum in 2026 if the legal threshold was met.
00:05:54.580 Independent of that, Smith announced she would appoint a special negotiating team to represent Alberta in meeting with Ottawa.
00:06:02.160 The group's goal would be to create a binding agreement called the Alberta Accord.
00:06:07.000 The plan also includes Smith chairing the Alberta Next panel,
00:06:10.860 which will consist of leaders in the judicial, academic, and economic spheres.
00:06:15.680 The panel will conduct various online and in-person town halls to discuss Alberta's future in Canada and propose a referenda.
00:06:23.760 Despite not putting her government support behind separation, Smith defended the Albertans backing the movement.
00:06:30.800 She said, quote,
00:06:32.140 The vast majority of these individuals are not fringe voices to be marginalized or vilified.
00:06:37.880 They are loyal Albertans.
00:06:39.140 They are, quite literally, our friends and neighbors who've just had enough of having their livelihoods and prosperity attacked by a hostile federal government.
00:06:47.160 Smith's negotiating team will make various demands of the federal government, including guaranteed access to tidewater ports for Alberta's resources,
00:06:56.060 Ottawa repealing federal legislation that hinders Alberta's energy sector,
00:07:00.540 protection against federal export taxes without Alberta's consent,
00:07:04.860 and equitable per capita federal transfers and equalization payments.
00:07:09.080 The specific policy Smith demanded the federal government repeal included Bill C-69,
00:07:15.120 aka the No More Pipelines Act,
00:07:16.900 the oil tanker ban,
00:07:18.540 the net-zero electricity regulations,
00:07:20.740 the oil and gas emissions cap,
00:07:22.520 the net-zero vehicle mandate,
00:07:24.200 and any other federal law regulating carbon emissions,
00:07:27.500 plastics,
00:07:28.260 or infringing on the free speech of energy companies.
00:07:31.280 Alberta beat the Feds in court on both Bill C-69
00:07:34.160 and Ottawa's attempt to regulate plastics.
00:07:37.020 Despite this, the Liberals have ignored the court decisions, according to Smith.
00:07:41.620 Alberta also recently launched a new court challenge on net-zero regulations,
00:07:45.620 and the provincial government is preparing to challenge the energy production cap.
00:07:49.720 While Smith was announcing the new teams on Monday,
00:07:52.100 she explained that strong and free is more than just Alberta's motto.
00:07:56.380 She said,
00:07:57.060 quote,
00:07:57.380 For our next story,
00:08:15.460 we'll take a look at an intra-provincial feud taking place in Alberta.
00:08:19.740 So despite Smith clearly distancing herself from the separatist movement,
00:08:24.340 putting it in the citizens' hands,
00:08:26.520 Alberta NDP leader Nahid Nenshi has launched a campaign accusing Smith of pushing separatism.
00:08:32.620 The campaign website,
00:08:34.300 Separatist Smith,
00:08:35.500 claims that Smith wants Alberta to leave Canada
00:08:37.800 and is aggressively pushing a radical separatist agenda.
00:08:41.460 It also urges Albertans to tell Danielle Smith to shove her separatism
00:08:45.480 back in the closet where it belongs.
00:08:47.900 Nenshi's push came after Smith clarified her non-involvement.
00:08:51.680 She said,
00:08:52.400 quote,
00:08:52.580 I specifically said we would not be bringing forward as a government
00:08:56.420 a question on the issue of independence.
00:08:58.640 So it would be up to individuals to draft that question
00:09:01.440 and go through a process with lawyers that they might consult.
00:09:04.260 Nenshi and the Alberta NDP have insisted the premier support for Bill 54
00:09:08.880 is equivalent to promoting separatism.
00:09:12.020 However,
00:09:12.480 Smith has also stated that she wants support for separation to go down,
00:09:16.320 not up,
00:09:17.060 and that she is focused on negotiating a stronger deal within Canada.
00:09:21.700 NDP MLA Brooks Arkan Paul
00:09:24.000 claimed that Smith was already impacting Indigenous treaty rights
00:09:27.100 simply by allowing a referendum framework to exist.
00:09:31.380 Nenshi further alleged that while Smith unequivocally
00:09:34.040 said no referendum would be allowed to infringe on treaty rights,
00:09:37.400 every referendum question will infringe on treaty rights,
00:09:40.460 according to him.
00:09:41.840 While Smith is not advocating for any petition from her government,
00:09:45.240 Nenshi has called on Albertans to sign his own petition
00:09:47.740 on his new website.
00:09:49.940 Constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson said,
00:09:52.120 quote,
00:09:52.420 While Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has hinted that he too would support citizens making their own decisions on separation,
00:10:11.940 BC Premier David Eby went the other direction.
00:10:15.220 Like Smith,
00:10:16.800 Moe said he'd rather strengthen the province within Canada,
00:10:19.800 but he also noted how many Saskatchewanians did not support the Liberals in the federal election,
00:10:25.740 and that a citizen-initiated referendum in Saskatchewan would be honored.
00:10:30.160 However,
00:10:30.800 BC Premier David Eby suggested that the two premiers,
00:10:34.460 Smith and Moe,
00:10:35.580 should instead rule with an iron fist,
00:10:37.860 pushing back strongly against any kind of separatist sentiment in their provinces.
00:10:42.280 Eby said any idea of BC separating was a non-starter.
00:10:47.360 He said,
00:10:48.520 But I certainly encourage them all,
00:10:49.940 Premier Smith,
00:10:50.600 Premier Moe,
00:10:51.600 and I believe that they're on board for this,
00:10:54.600 to work together for the good of the country,
00:10:56.860 to hold the country together,
00:10:58.480 and to push back strongly on any kind of separatist sentiment.
00:11:02.500 Eby also took aim at conservative MLA David Williams,
00:11:06.060 who he said made a dumb move by sharing a Western separatist map.
00:11:10.320 Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Leach criticized Eby for sounding a little dictatorial
00:11:16.880 and calling on the premiers to crush the Western independence movement
00:11:20.280 rather than sit with them to understand their concerns.
00:11:24.540 She said,
00:11:25.200 Believe it or not,
00:11:43.880 Smith also got the support of an Eastern Provincial Party.
00:11:47.980 Smith gained support from the Parti Québécois,
00:11:50.400 the Provincial Quebec Separatist Party,
00:11:52.460 not to be confused with the federal Bloc Québécois.
00:11:56.040 Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said,
00:11:59.340 Plamondon praised Smith's threat of a referendum to attain leverage over the federal government.
00:12:19.660 The Parti Québécois launched referendums on Quebec sovereignty twice,
00:12:24.540 in 1980 and 1995,
00:12:26.620 both of which failed.
00:12:28.500 However, St-Pierre Plamondon vows Quebec will see a third referendum by 2030
00:12:33.620 should his party form government after next year's provincial election.
00:12:37.660 He also took shots at Quebec Premier François Legault through Smith.
00:12:41.500 Plamondon said,
00:12:42.280 What a striking gesture to see Danielle Smith do more in terms of autonomy and defense of her own province
00:12:48.360 than François Legault has done over his entire mandate.
00:12:52.640 For our last story today, we'll do a quick overview of a list that True North compiled
00:12:56.700 on the key players behind Alberta's separation movement,
00:12:59.940 from grassroots groups to political parties and influential online organizers.
00:13:05.100 First up, the Alberta Prosperity Project is one of the largest educational organizations
00:13:09.900 pushing for a referendum, and had just under 150,000 Albertans registered by Thursday.
00:13:16.260 The project isn't a political party, but plans to begin the official 120-day signature collection process
00:13:22.760 once it gathers enough pre-signatures and Elections Alberta gives approval of the petition.
00:13:28.620 The project is advocating for Alberta to hold a referendum that would give the provincial government
00:13:33.380 a mandate to negotiate its place within or outside of the Confederation.
00:13:38.220 The group also advocates for the creation of an Alberta pension plan, Alberta police force,
00:13:43.940 and provincial control over resource development, taxation, immigration, and employment insurance.
00:13:49.780 Another petition, the Alberta Separation-slash-Western Alliance petition,
00:13:54.360 has been circulating on Change.org for several years, and it recently found renewed attention.
00:13:59.280 With over 225,000 signatures, the petition calls for Alberta and other Western provinces,
00:14:05.920 like BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, to enter survival mode and begin polling public support
00:14:11.940 for separation from the rest of Canada.
00:14:14.540 Although this petition holds no legal weight and isn't recognized under Alberta's referendum laws,
00:14:20.120 the petition continues to generate significant online attention and speaks to a broader sentiment
00:14:25.060 of Western alienation.
00:14:26.980 Then we have the Republican Party of Alberta, which is a registered political party led by Cameron Davies.
00:14:32.700 It supports joining the United States and was formerly known as the Buffalo Party.
00:14:37.840 Davies has a colorful political history and has rebranded the movement with bold claims
00:14:42.360 about Alberta's economic future under U.S. alignment.
00:14:45.980 There's also the Wild Rose Independence Party, which was formed through the merger of Wexit Alberta
00:14:50.820 and the Freedom Conservative Party in 2020.
00:14:54.200 The new party is led by G. Van Mangat and supports a sovereign Alberta within a democratic framework.
00:14:59.560 It recently co-hosted a sovereignty rally at the legislature in collaboration with the Independence Party of Alberta.
00:15:05.760 The Independence Party of Alberta was founded in 2000 and re-registered in 2019, and it goes a step further.
00:15:12.220 It wants to draft a provincial constitution and build Alberta's own military, justice system, and currency framework.
00:15:18.600 Next is Take Back Alberta, the group that once reshaped the UCP from the inside.
00:15:24.780 Founder David Parker recently wrote a piece titled,
00:15:28.220 Alberta Separatism Must Succeed, laying out why the province needs to exit what he calls a nation in terminal decline.
00:15:36.180 Parker said, quote,
00:15:37.360 He added that Prime Minister Mark Carney is the greatest threat Alberta has ever faced.
00:16:03.600 Online, several ex-accounts are helping build momentum for the movement, such as Alberta Secession Y, Alberta Separation, and Rise of Alberta.
00:16:13.060 These accounts share legal resources, organized support, and combat misinformation, especially around Indigenous veto claims.
00:16:21.420 From registered parties to digital campaigns, the Alberta sovereignty movement is no longer fringe.
00:16:26.700 It's organized, well-funded, and quickly approaching the threshold needed to trigger a historic vote.
00:16:33.180 That wraps up this week's show.
00:16:35.040 My name's Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.
00:16:38.140 Have a great weekend, thank you, and God bless.