‘It’s time to have a vote’: Smith adds separation question to fall referendum
Posted May 21, 2026 8:24 am.
Last Updated May 21, 2026 7:24 pm.
Albertans will be asked this fall whether the province should remain a part of Canada, or move towards a future vote on leaving the country.
Premier Danielle Smith announced Thursday in a province-wide televised address that her government will add a new question to the Oct. 19 referendum, asking residents if they think the province should begin the legal process for a binding separation referendum.
The question that will be put to Albertans: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
“It’s time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on,” Smith said during her address, adding that she intends to vote for the province to remain in Canada.
READ MORE: Here are the referendum questions to be put to Albertans later this year
The move comes after a court ruling struck down the ‘Stay Free Alberta’ separation petition for failing to consult First Nations, a decision the premier called a misinterpretation of the duty to consult and an infringement on democratic rights.
Since the judge’s ruling prevents Elections Alberta from validating signatures or holding a binding referendum until appeals are resolved, Smith said the new question is the only viable way to let Albertans be heard this year.
“Because this proposed referendum question does not directly trigger separation….the recent court ruling would not be applicable, and the referendum question I outlined, could proceed,” she said.
UCP members of a special committee reviewing Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian petition passed a motion on Thursday afternoon formally asking Smith to include a question about separation on the fall ballot.
The petition secured more than 400,000 verified signatures in December, asking Albertans: Do you agree that Alberta should remain within Canada?
Lukaszuk was seeking to have his petition voted on by MLAs in the legislature rather than go to a referendum. The NDP have accused the UCP of only now caring about his petition after the separatist one was quashed by the courts.
Smith has previously said that if a petition meets the signature threshold, its question would be placed on the fall ballot, noting during her address that roughly 700,000 Albertans have signed petitions, both pro‑Canada and pro‑separation, seeking a vote on the province’s future.
“Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society,” the premier said.
Where does the premier stand on separation?
Smith confirmed Thursday she intends to vote for Alberta to remain in Canada, arguing the country functions best when provinces exercise strong autonomy.
She criticized Justin Trudeau’s time as prime minister and cited his government as a reason for the fractured relationship between the province and Ottawa. She also pointed to recent federal‑provincial cooperation on energy policy and said Alberta has regained national influence.
“Do we in Alberta still have our differences with the federal Liberal government? Obviously,” Smith said. “Make no mistake, we will relentlessly challenge them to respect our provincial rights and jurisdiction every time they step over the line.”
“But, there can be no doubt that things are a world of difference better for our province than they were under the Trudeau/NDP governments.”
Despite her insistence that Alberta should remain part of Canada, critics have pointed to the UCP government’s role in continually lowering the threshold and providing a path to such a referendum.
“She has pushed along a question because a group has threatened to bring down her and her party if she does not,” said Calgary Liberal MP Corey Hogan, in a statement on the premier’s address. “Her internal political problems have become our national crisis.”
“This baffling, referendum-on-a-referendum question will do nothing to settle anything.”
Smith used parts of her address to speak directly to both separatist and pro-federalist Albertans, urging both sides to reject division and work together to “hold Ottawa accountable.”
According to Smith, the UCP government will respect the results of all the questions asked on the Ocober ballot.
The premier unveiled the plan for the Oct. 19 referendum in February. There are nine other questions on immigration and constitutional reform that will be put to Albertans this fall.
