Hundreds of thousands of Albertans signed petitions supporting the province's independence movement or its 'Forever Canada' competitor, showing a strong desire for a debate on separatism.
Liberal MP Corey Hogan claims Danielle Smith is “ignoring the will of the vast majority of Albertans” by allowing a referendum process connected to Alberta independence.
There’s just one problem with that argument:
Hundreds of thousands of Albertans have already signed petitions demanding exactly this conversation.
More than 300,000 signatures were reportedly gathered on the Alberta independence citizen initiative petition. Meanwhile, Thomas Lukaszuk’s competing “Forever Canada” petition reportedly gathered more than 400,000 signatures calling for a referendum affirming Alberta should remain in Canada.
STATEMENT ON PROVINCIAL ADDRESS
— Corey Hogan 🇨🇦 (@coreyhoganyyc) May 22, 2026
The Premier of Alberta intervened to lower the threshold for getting a separatist question on the ballot. She then intervened to eliminate a review requiring the question be constitutional. She intervenes again tonight after yet another court has… pic.twitter.com/k5fMYhMNw6
That means over 700,000 Albertans signed petitions demanding some form of provincewide vote on Alberta’s future in Confederation.
In fact, the referendum process Hogan condemns was created under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act — legislation specifically designed to allow ordinary citizens to force major public questions into the democratic process if enough signatures are collected.
And unlike Hogan’s framing, Premier Smith did not invent the issue of Alberta alienation.
Albertans have spent years watching:
- federally approved pipelines cancelled,
- oil and gas projects blocked,
- emissions caps targeted primarily at Alberta’s economy,
- equalization fights ignored,
- and Quebec repeatedly granted constitutional and political accommodations Ottawa refuses to extend westward.
Even Reuters noted this spring that rising separatist sentiment is being fuelled by anger over federal energy and environmental policies affecting Alberta.
Hogan also warns the referendum discussion will “divide” and “damage” Alberta’s social fabric.
But democratic votes are not inherently dangerous simply because political elites dislike the subject matter.
Quebec held two sovereignty referenda. Scotland held an independence referendum. The United Kingdom held Brexit. Canada itself held referenda on Charlottetown and prohibition.
Democratic societies settle major constitutional questions through votes, not by declaring certain opinions too upsetting to discuss.
The same political class now warning Albertans not to even talk about sovereignty spent years insisting “Quebec has a right to self-determination” whenever separatism arose in that province.
Apparently national unity referenda are democratic exercises in Quebec, but signs of “madness” when frustrated Albertans want a say.
Hogan is free to oppose Alberta independence — many Albertans do.
But pretending hundreds of thousands of petition signatures somehow represent a fringe anti-democratic movement requires ignoring the largest citizen-driven political mobilization Alberta has seen in years.
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