Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney is criticizing Alberta’s independence movement and dismissing supporters as “kooks” and “crazies,” despite the fact that the referendum mechanism being used was created by his own government.

We have introduced the Citizen Initiative Act to put Albertans in the driver's seat of our democracy.

Following the last federal election, I committed to doing everything within our power to fight for a fair deal for Alberta, and to give Albertans a bigger say over major issues. pic.twitter.com/sfrQ26SmFk

— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) March 17, 2021

In 2021, Kenney introduced Bill 51, the Citizen Initiative Act, describing it as a way to put Albertans “in the driver’s seat of our democracy.”

Specifically, I committed to introducing a law to empower voters to put big issues on the agenda through citizen initiative legislation. The introduction of Bill 51 is a historic democratic reform for Alberta.

Another promise made, another promise kept.https://t.co/IBCipXSSQA

— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) March 17, 2021

At the time, Kenney publicly stated the law would allow Albertans to:

• “force referendum votes on issues that really matter to the public”
• have “a bigger say over major issues”
• and place issues on the agenda through “historic democratic reform”

The legislation created the exact citizen initiative petition process now being used by Alberta independence organizers.

Good question.

The answer is: because they can’t get elected to dog catcher in Alberta.

They’ve been trying for 45 years.

At least a dozen separatist parties have contested federal and provincial elections in Alberta since 1980.

They’ve only won one seat, in 1982, which they… https://t.co/So3Y5i5qWm

— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) May 14, 2026

More than 300,000 signatures were submitted in support of the proposed referendum question, collected by thousands of volunteers across Alberta.

Public polling on Alberta independence has varied, but support levels have frequently measured well above fringe levels, often around or above one-third of respondents depending on the question and polling firm.

Whether one supports Alberta independence or opposes it, the movement is operating through the citizen initiative framework established by Kenney’s government itself.