Canadian prime minister says Alberta essential' to country as separatists push for independence

Separatists in Alberta sought a binding October referendum on seceding from Canada by collecting signatures under provincial law. They delivered a petition to provincial officials after claiming enough names to trigger a vote. An Alberta judge invalidated the initiative, ruling that separatists failed to consult Indigenous groups whose rights could be affected by separation. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the ruling erroneous and said it should not end a debate involving hundreds of thousands of Albertans. She plans to ask voters in October whether her government should begin the legal steps needed for a binding independence referendum, structuring the question to avoid directly triggering separation. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Alberta is essential to Canada’s future and that Canada can be improved through cooperation with Alberta.

"Separatists in the western province spent months collecting signatures seeking to trigger a binding October vote on seceding from the nation. On 4 May, they delivered their petition to provincial officials, insisting they had collected more than enough names to force a vote under Alberta law. But an Alberta judge shut down the process, saying the citizens' initiative was invalid because the separatists had failed to consult with Indigenous groups whose rights could be threatened if the province separated from Canada."

"In an address late on Thursday, Alberta's premier, Danielle Smith, called the judge's decision erroneous, charging that it interferes with the democratic rights of hundreds of thousands of Albertans. Smith, a conservative whose political coalition includes separatists, said she supports Alberta remaining in Canada. But she insisted she would not let a legal mistake by a single judge quash a debate that needed to take place."

"It's time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject and move on, she said. In October, she plans to ask Albertans if they want her government to commence the legal process necessary to hold a binding referendum on independence. Smith said she had structured her question such that it does not violate the judge's ruling, because it does not directly trigger separation."

"Carney, who spent most of his childhood in Alberta, responded on Friday in a taped video address from Parliament Hill. Canada is the greatest country in the world, but it can be better, and we're working on making it better. We're working with Alberta on making it better, he said. Alberta is essential to Canada's future, he added."

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