<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/first-nation-decries-alberta-separatist-push-canada>
"A First Nation in Alberta has said that a separatist push for the province to
secede from Canada is “consummately irresponsible and dishonourable” and should
be shut down, arguing in court that a proposed referendum would violate their
treaty rights.
A minority of residents of the oil-rich province have long argued that the
province’s woes are due to the structure of payments to the federal government
and a perceived inability to get their vast fossil fuel reserves to market.
In recent months, separatists have seized on the sentiment and collected nearly
180,000 signatures to request a referendum. But the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation,
near Edmonton, has asked a court to halt the campaign.
The hearing, which began on Tuesday, is expected to last three days.
Last year, Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, reduced the number of signatures
required for citizens bring a constitutional referendum, dropping it from
588,000 to roughly 178,000. The provincial government also changed how
citizen-initiated referendums worked, removing powers from Alberta’s chief
electoral officer. Now, referendums can pose questions that would run afoul of
the Canadian constitution."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
