Canadian PM: Alberta secession vote comes at worst possible time

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that there is “no worse time” for oil-rich Alberta to embark on a path that could lead to a future referendum on separation from Canada, during a campaign stop in Calgary amid early voting, to call for national unity.

The vote scheduled for next Monday is not a direct referendum on independence.

Alberta, which holds the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves, will decide in this vote whether to remain a Canadian province or to direct the government to begin legal procedures paving the way for a future secession referendum.

Speaking to volunteers supporting Alberta’s continued place within Canada who were working to mobilize voters, Carney said, “There is no worse time for a referendum. It is a dangerous and divided world, and it is time for us to come together, defend ourselves, and look out for one another.”

Carney did not name U.S. President Donald Trump, but his warning came amid Trump’s trade war with Canada, economic uncertainty stemming from tariffs, and repeated threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Carney has consistently emphasized that Canada needs to strengthen its economic resilience and reduce its dependence on the United States.

He told volunteers, “We are stronger when we are united, and Canada is worth fighting for.”

- This news report from The Associated Press (AP) was translated from English by a Cairo-based editor for Deutsche Welle (DW).