Juno News - Smith vows to “prevent” independence referendum

00:00:00.000 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's doing everything she can to prevent a referendum on

00:00:15.840 independence and separatist leaders aren't happy about it. Smith has also issued a new mandate

00:00:21.040 letters ordering her ministers to push for more provincial control over immigration,

00:00:24.880 toughen wildfire strategy, and protect fairness in women's sports. The province is rolling out a

00:00:31.120 citizenship marker on driver's licenses making it the first province in Canada to do so. Meanwhile,

00:00:37.040 a University of Alberta law professor has been placed on leave after posts following Charlie

00:00:41.920 Kirk's assassination sparked outrage while vigils across Alberta drew thousands. All that and more

00:00:48.080 on this week's Alberta Roundup, I'm your host Isaac Lamoureux and let's jump right into that first story.

00:00:52.800 So Premier Danielle Smith says she's doing everything in her power to prevent a referendum

00:00:57.200 vote on Alberta independence. Her comments came in response to a question about former Premier

00:01:02.320 Jason Kenney's public stance against holding a referendum. He said such a vote would divide

00:01:07.520 families, communities, marriages, and more province-wide. Her response only specifically

00:01:12.800 mentioned former cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszak's pro-Canada referendum question. She made no mention

00:01:18.720 of the Alberta Prosperity Project's question currently before the courts. She said, quote,

00:01:24.320 This is why I'm doing everything I can to prevent a referendum vote because Mr. Lukaszak's vote is a

00:01:29.280 yes-no question. It is a separatist referendum. He may be trying to characterize it differently,

00:01:34.480 but if you ask people if you want to remain in Alberta, yes or no, there are implications if people

00:01:39.280 answer no. She reiterated her support for Alberta sovereignty within United Canada, and she also said that

00:01:45.200 her and the federal government were collaborating to address issues and grievances currently held

00:01:49.920 by Albertans, saying a joint announcement was forthcoming that she hoped would, quote,

00:01:54.480 take the temperature down on this. Leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, Cam Davies,

00:01:59.840 said Smith's comments are not in line with what the base of her party wants. He told Shunorth, quote,

00:02:05.840 Albertans want to have a vote and have their voice heard on the issue. His party faced their first test in

00:02:10.960 the old Didsbury Three Hills by-election where he came in third place with 17.66% of the vote.

00:02:16.880 The Alberta Prosperity Project also told Shunorth that Ottawa had nothing to offer that could match

00:02:21.840 sovereignty or separations prospects. Dr. Dennis Modry, a partner with the project, said, quote,

00:02:28.000 The federal government can't offer Alberta anything better than Alberta getting out from all federal

00:02:33.760 regulations and taxation. The Alberta Prosperity Project also recently sent a newsletter to its

00:02:39.120 supporters specifically targeting Luke Hazwick's Forever Canadian group. The message highlighted that

00:02:44.240 Canadian citizenship would be retained upon successful separation. The message read, quote,

00:02:50.480 So when Alberta realizes independence, rest assured, being an Albertan and a Canadian at the same time

00:02:56.240 would very likely remain possible. Forever Canadian they remain, even in a newly independent 0.93

00:03:02.320 nation. What a wonderful option for everyone. Smith's newest comments are a change of pace from when

00:03:07.840 she previously pledged to hold an Alberta separation referendum in 2026 if there were enough signatures

00:03:14.000 to warrant one. Davies said it's easy to say you're in favor of a separatist referendum when you pledge

00:03:20.000 to mix it in with a bunch of other questions to what he said, quote,

00:03:23.600 Conflate and confuse the issue in order to stifle it. Smith said she intends to hold several referenda

00:03:29.920 based on the most common ideas gathered through her series of Alberta next town halls. She also reminded

00:03:35.680 Albertans that Luke Hazwick's referendum would proceed under the old rules because he filed it before

00:03:40.560 Bill 54 had been proclaimed, meaning he has 90 days to collect 293,976,000 signatures instead of the

00:03:49.040 reduced threshold of 177,000 signatures to be collected over 120 days. But Davies wasn't happy about Bill 54

00:03:57.920 either. He said it's the reason the Alberta Prosperity Project's petition is currently held up in court.

00:04:03.920 He said, quote, Bill 54 had a number of tripwires and pitfalls contained. There was no requirement

00:04:09.680 until the UCP placed that requirement in Bill 54 for the courts to intervene and make sure that it

00:04:15.520 passed the federal sniff test. He said the question should not need to be approved by the Canadian

00:04:20.560 courts but only the will of Albertans. Davies said, quote, it was never her intention to allow this

00:04:26.720 question to come to a vote. It has always been the Premier's intention to deter, stifle, and ensure that this

00:04:32.800 vote never comes about. While he said the Republican Party of Alberta supports a referendum, he said the

00:04:38.400 petition aspect is unnecessary and called on the provincial government to just schedule a vote.

00:04:43.840 He suggested that if Alberta were to pursue an Alberta pension plan, a provincial police force,

00:04:48.880 independent tax collection, and control over immigration, Ottawa's reaction would reveal Alberta's

00:04:55.040 second-class status within confederation. And he also said that if this occurred, he said the vote would

00:05:00.400 no doubt be over 50%. But for our next story, we'll look at a mandate development in Alberta. Premier

00:05:06.720 Danielle Smith has issued four new mandate letters to some of her cabinet ministers, pressing them to

00:05:11.840 deliver on immigration autonomy, wildfire strategy, sports fairness, and more. In her letter to immigration

00:05:17.840 minister Joseph Scow, Smith directed him to take control over Ottawa when it comes to immigration

00:05:23.440 decisions that fall within provincial jurisdiction. She wrote, quote, use all legal means to secure more

00:05:29.920 provincial control over international immigration to Alberta for the purpose of achieving a more

00:05:34.720 sustainable level of immigration with a focus on economic migrants able to contribute to the growth

00:05:40.480 of our economy. She also ordered him to push back on the temporary foreign worker program,

00:05:45.280 ensure Canadians have first access to jobs, and develop a youth hiring incentive to help reduce 0.72

00:05:50.560 unemployment among young Albertans. In a response to True North, Scow said that, quote,

00:05:56.400 the federal government has failed to treat Alberta and other provinces as partners and has not given

00:06:01.760 serious consideration to the feedback we provide, resulting in ongoing mismanagement over immigration.

00:06:07.920 Furthermore, he told True North that he would focus on economic immigration through provincial

00:06:12.560 nominee programs as a tool to fulfill actual labor shortages. He said, quote,

00:06:18.000 taking the direction from Premier Smith, my ministry will be looking for opportunities to use our

00:06:22.960 provincial authority for immigration to bring benefit to our economy rather than following the

00:06:28.560 federal model that has not met Alberta's economic and labor needs and brought unsustainable growth in

00:06:34.160 schools, hospitals, and other critical services overseen by the province.

00:06:38.800 To Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boychenko, Smith instructed him to enforce Alberta's new

00:06:44.000 Fairness and Safety in Sport Act. The new legislation requires any athletes 12 years of age or older to

00:06:49.920 confirm they were female sex at birth, with parental consent required for minors. These females will be 0.99

00:06:56.240 able to compete in female-only sports leagues free of intrusion by men pretending to be women. The

00:07:02.400 ministry told True North that it will vigorously defend any of the new rules if they are challenged. In an

00:07:08.400 email to True North, the ministry said, quote, Alberta's government is working to ensure the full

00:07:13.840 implementation of the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act using all available legal and constitutional

00:07:18.800 means necessary to protect the integrity of our province's female athletic competitions. We strongly

00:07:24.880 encourage other provinces and territories to follow Alberta's lead to ensure safe, fair, and accessible

00:07:31.040 sport for all. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Lowen was ordered to strengthen wildfire prevention in Banff,

00:07:36.720 Jasper, and Waterton through expanded FireSmart initiatives, fuels management, and new equipment.

00:07:42.400 Arts, Culture, and Status of Women Minister Tanya Furr was tasked with expanding Alberta Day

00:07:47.360 celebrations and promoting provincial symbols like the flag and motto. Smith wrote that Albertans gave

00:07:53.280 her government a clear mandate to deliver results and that these initiatives were part of fulfilling that

00:07:58.320 promise. But for our next story, we'll look at a change to Alberta driver's licenses. Alberta is

00:08:04.240 preparing to add a citizenship status marker to driver's licenses and ID cards starting in fall

00:08:09.840 2026, making it the first province in the country to do so. The change, announced on Monday, will take

00:08:16.160 effect in fall 2026 and apply to all new and renewed cards. Premier Smith explained that the change would

00:08:22.000 make things faster, better, and more convenient for everybody. She added that when Albertans need to

00:08:27.760 access vital services like student aid, health benefits, and other government supports, they will

00:08:32.720 no longer need to carry numerous documents or face other roadblocks. She said, quote,

00:08:38.000 this change means that when Albertans need to prove both their identity and their citizenship,

00:08:42.880 they'll be able to do so with a single document. It's about reducing red tape, cutting down on paperwork,

00:08:49.040 and making sure that government works for you, not the other way around. While framing the change

00:08:53.920 somewhat around convenience, Smith also said it would enhance election security, considering the

00:08:59.600 citizenship marker on licenses would ensure that only actual citizens can vote in elections.

00:09:05.520 Non-citizens, like permanent residents, will still qualify for Alberta's driver's licenses, 0.98

00:09:10.080 but their identification will not have the citizenship marker displayed. She explained some other new

00:09:15.520 changes forthcoming, specifically around healthcare identification numbers. She revealed that there are

00:09:20.960 over 530,000 more healthcare numbers than registered people living in Alberta. And Smith said that it's

00:09:26.800 even unclear who these people are. The Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally,

00:09:31.680 blamed this phenomenon on Alberta health services, which he said lacked security and controls.

00:09:37.120 The province recently announced the new Digital Wallet, which allows Albertans to store their

00:09:41.200 government-issued documents on their smartphone if they want. The first card available to do this with

00:09:46.880 is the mobile health card. And Alberta's Technology and Innovation Minister, Nate Glubish,

00:09:51.760 previously told TrueNorth that the health card will be implemented with Alberta's driver's licenses

00:09:56.480 next year. While these changes will occur at the same time, Nally said there is no plan to make the

00:10:00.960 driver's licenses virtual and accessible through the Digital Wallet at this time. And I'll just remind

00:10:06.160 people that Glubish emphasized that this change will always be optional and never mandatory. Albertans will

00:10:12.080 have to provide proof of citizenship or immigration status once the change is implemented to renew or

00:10:17.520 obtain a driver's license. Nally said that while working with the federal government, Ottawa was

00:10:22.640 unable to provide a single source of data to tell the province who is or who is not a Canadian citizen.

00:10:29.200 He also said that 67 countries already do this and it will simplify the lives of Albertans.

00:10:35.040 Smith said her government has been talking about this change since its re-election and she said the

00:10:39.440 change will help solve the unknown number of health cards, the issues around social programs requiring

00:10:44.240 citizenship and election integrity simultaneously. But for our last story, we'll delve a bit into

00:10:50.240 Charlie Kirk's assassination in the aftermath seen in Alberta. The University of Alberta has placed a law

00:10:55.840 professor on leave following online controversy linked to Charlie Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley

00:11:01.840 University on September 10th. In the wake of Kirk's killing, a post by University of Alberta Faculty of Law

00:11:07.920 Assistant Professor Florence Ashley was widely circulated and led to widespread blowback. The 0.95

00:11:13.840 university refused to confirm whether Ashley was the faculty member who was placed on leave.

00:11:18.640 A university spokesperson told True North quote, due to privacy and safety considerations, we cannot confirm

00:11:25.040 the identity of the faculty member involved. The individual has been placed on non-disciplinary leave,

00:11:30.560 a temporary administrative step taken to allow a thorough review while supporting community safety.

00:11:35.920 Ashley captioned a post in relation to Ezra Klein's opinion piece which was titled,

00:11:39.920 Charlie Kirk was practicing politics the right way. But his caption, that being Ashley's, read quote,

00:11:45.200 You do not, in fact, ever have to hand it to the Nazis. I utterly do not care for any virtues that

00:11:50.480 someone may perceive in them. Ashley's website celebrated him being the first openly trans-feminine

00:11:56.080 clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada and he cites other works in his fight against governments trying to

00:12:02.160 ban conversion practices. Ashley also celebrated authoring the book called gender slash effing,

00:12:08.560 the pleasures and politics of living in a gendered body. He said his pronouns are they,

00:12:13.840 them. In a post to Blue Sky, Ashley also discussed getting email threats. He said, quote,

00:12:19.120 Why do I feel like they'll somehow find a way to blame Charlie Kirk's shooting on trans people?

00:12:23.680 Of course, we now know that Robinson was living with and dating a transgender, per Fox News,

00:12:28.800 and the story continues to develop. But on the brighter side of the story, country star Morgan

00:12:33.600 Wallen and Premier Smith joined thousands of Albertans last weekend in paying tribute to Kirk.

00:12:39.440 Wallen sold out back-to-back shows at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium,

00:12:43.360 the largest outdoor stadium in Canada, with a seating capacity of over 56,000. In one of his shows,

00:12:50.240 tens of thousands of fans lit up their phones in tribute. Take a quick listen to that.

00:12:54.960 It's been hitting me harder in the last couple of days, and I just wanted to let Erica Kirk

00:12:59.440 know that me and my family are singing prayers our way.

00:13:01.840 I'm going to sing it with me if you don't.

00:13:20.160 Smith highlighted what she called this beautiful moment. She said, quote,

00:13:24.560 I continue to be moved by the compassion of Albertans as you gather at vigils tonight,

00:13:29.520 at the legislature, and in Calgary to honor Charlie's memory. Because yes, we also saw

00:13:34.400 thousands show up for vigils in both Edmonton and Calgary. Calgary attendees could be heard

00:13:39.840 by filling the skies with the sound of their rendition of Amazing Grace.

00:14:02.800 The same rendition could be heard by the thousands of the Edmonton legislature on Sunday night.

00:14:07.680 I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was thine, but now I see.

00:14:28.240 With their vigil, Calgary even actually made Fox News for the attendees singing the U.S.

00:14:33.120 national anthem during the vigil. Founder of Take Back Alberta, David Parker,

00:14:37.680 said that the way Albertans honored Kirk set them apart from the rest of the country.

00:14:41.840 He said, quote, Last night, Alberta proved why it is the best province in the country.

00:14:47.120 We know how to honor heroes and we don't listen to mainstream media propaganda.

00:14:51.680 It proved why it should be a country. Nothing like what happened last night happened anywhere else

00:14:56.400 in Canada at nearly the numbers that it did here. And speaking of Kirk, he actually knew about

00:15:01.120 Alberta. He even advocated for its sovereignty during one of his college shows. In fact,

00:15:06.240 to finish up the show today, let's take a quick listen to that.

00:15:09.600 Canada is a real problem, man. I mean, because you have, I would, uh, I would basically allow

00:15:13.920 Alberta to become its own country. I lived in Alberta too. So yeah, Edmonton or Calgary.

00:15:19.360 Yeah. The two best parts of, uh, Canada is a really screwed up country and it's a self hating country, 0.99

00:15:29.520 as you well know, that prides itself on being polite. And this is a great lesson for those of 0.52

00:15:34.080 us in the West that your, um, your favorable characteristics of being polite, nice and

00:15:40.320 welcoming can also be your downfall. And you know that in Canada, right? Yeah. Super polite. Okay.

00:15:45.600 We're just going to allow a bunch of foreigners to overrun our country. Super polite. We're not 1.00

00:15:48.720 going to allow anyone. We're not going to have free speech. Canada's got a big problem. It does

00:15:52.400 not have this, the constitution. So you do not have robust free speech protections. You do not

00:15:56.800 have second amendment protections. So the government is able to do whatever they want. Um, I wouldn't want

00:16:00.960 to be prime minister of Canada. I wouldn't last very long. Um, but between, uh, between Ottawa,

00:16:07.520 Toronto and Vancouver, you have some of the most liberal cities on the planet, as you well know.

00:16:11.920 Uh, Canada, I think is bringing in like half of its population in the next decade and immigrants.

00:16:16.160 It's just not sustainable. Um, and, uh, it's too bad. It was a once great country.

00:16:20.160 That wraps up this week's Alberta Roundup. My name's Isaac Lamoureux. Have a great weekend.

00:16:24.560 Thank you. And God bless.

Juno News - September 21, 2025

Smith vows to “prevent” independence referendum

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