The Alberta government has announced the creation of the “Alberta Next” working group, an initiative aimed at collecting population opinions on key issues concerning the future of the province.
Faced with the press on Tuesday, Prime Minister Danielle Smith underlined the need for Alberta to strengthen her sovereignty in Canada.
This initiative occurs while relations between Alberta and the federal government are particularly tense, especially due to the environmental policies of Ottawa, perceived as harmful to the economic interests of the province.
According to Ms. Smith, Ottawa has repeatedly ignored Alberta’s requests, in particular on equalization reform, non-immixion of provincial skills and the impact of regulations in the Alberta energy sector.
In a context of growing political tensions between Alberta and Ottawa, Danielle Smith announced the creation of the Alberta Next working group.
Photo : Radio-Canada / James Young/CBC
These tensions have fueled a growing feeling of dissatisfaction, adds Ms. Smith, pushing the government to launch this consultation process.
The objective is to explore the tracks allowing Alberta to gain autonomy while remaining in the Canadian fold.
The working group will put the population at the helm. He will give him the opportunity to decide how Alberta can become stronger and more sovereign in a united Canada.
Alberta Next (new window)
(in English) is made up of 15 members. They come from the government’s Caucus, community experts and leaders, including representatives of the energy, business, agriculture and law sectors.
Consultations will include public assemblies in person and virtual, as well as an online survey so that all Albertans can express themselves.
This vast initiative will be concluded with a referendum in 2026, where the proposals selected will be subject to the vote of the Albertans.
Among the themes of the consultation, we find:
- The creation of an Alberta pension plan
- Replacing the GRC by provincial police
- Constitutional reforms concerning the Senate and the House of Commons
- Changes to federal transfers and equalization
- Greater autonomy in immigration, similar to that of Quebec
The Prime Minister also answered questions about the rise in separatist feelings, attributing this trend to a decade of unfavorable federal policies.
However, she said that the government was working with Ottawa to resolve these tensions.
The chief of the NPD of Alberta, Naheed Nenshi, won his headquarters during the provincial partial election in Edmonton-Strathcona.
Photo: Radio-charte / Manuel Carrillos Avalos
The Alberta leader of the neo-democratic party, Naheed Nenshi, who won his seat during the provincial partial election Monday in the constituency of Edmonton-Strathcona, expressed strong criticism and concerns concerning the working group of the first in the program Eye Opener of CBC/Radio-Canada.
According to him, Danielle Smith ignores the concerns of the Albertans both on the economy, education and health. She prefers, he says, animate fear, hatred and anger to provoke discord.
She thinks she can speak of separatism indefinitely with this new group of experts […]yet another group of experts for which she will spend millions of dollars from taxpayers, without anything serious coming to her.
Even if the Prime Minister and the province clearly claim that the initiative does not aim for the separation of Canada Alberta, but rather to affirm our sovereignty and constitutional rights within a united Canada
she recognizes a Increase in this feeling
separatist in Alberta.
She hopes that Federal Prime Minister Mark Carney will take the separatist feeling seriously.
With information from Loren McGinnis and Angela Knight
