Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is downplaying support for potential separation from Canada.
On her March 29 Saturday radio show, Your Province. Your Premier. Smith addressed a caller who asked if the premier was a "closet Western separatist".
"I saw a question from Rick Bell (Calgary Sun columnist) that says we could be headed for a referendum given your demands to Mark Carney," the caller stated.
"It's hard not to notice your discontent for Team Canada."
"I disagree, I was just down in the U.S. with my Team Canada jersey on, talking about everything from critical minerals to British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba, to uranium in Saskatchewan to potash and cars and everything in between. That's my job," the premier responded.
"To make sure the Americans understand just how important our trade relationship is. I reject the premise of your question. We do have mechanisms for referendum in our province."
The premier continued to outline what a potential referendum on any separation might look-like, albeit not government driven.
"We have a citizen initiated process, where if you get enough petition signatures, you can force a vote. You've seen that before. Fluoride has gone to a referendum during a municipal election. We've seen a number of other municipalities take that up. There's been a referendum on trying to end equalization. The Fair Deal Panel proposed referendum on a number of other issues.
"After the election is over, I will do a "what's next panel" where I'm going to go around the province and see how people are feeling and see if there are any other referendum issues they want us to put on the table. There is a process for individuals to put those questions forward so every Albertan can have a say."
A recent Western Identity Report from Pollara conducted with 2,000 adult Western Canadians (including 600 Albertans) between January 29th and February 14th, 2025, showed that 55 percent of Albertans feel that their province is being treated unfairly by the federal government.
The report also showed about 20 percent of both Alberta and Saskatchewan residents would like to see their province separate from Canada and form its own country.
In the context of more tariffs coming this week and what a Liberal Party of Canada win in the April 28 election might mean for a possible referendum on Alberta's potential separation from Canada, Smith was blunt.
"It's nonsense," Smith said about separation, before pivoting.
"The one issue I disagree with is that we cannot have an export tax or export restrictions on oil and gas. That is the one issue that I have disagreed with. I think I am standing up for Albertans in that regard and preventing a massive escalation in a trade war.
"We have $150 billion worth of product that goes to the United States. If the federal government slaps a 25 per cent tariff on that, that means that Ottawa will take another $40 billion out of this province and we know how they take money and they distribute when it comes out of this province.
"They give it to places where they think they are going to win votes. Under no circumstances am I going to agree with them slapping an export tariff where the money all goes to Ottawa to be spent on Ottawa politicians. I don't know how I could be more clear on that."
The U.S. has hit Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent levies on steel and aluminum as well as goods that are not compliant with the North American free trade pact. The pause on tariffs for items that do comply is set to expire on April 2.
Smith added she's been clear about where she stands in relation to Canada's response to Donald Trump's continued talk of annexing Canada, making it the 51st state and potentially more tariffs.
"I've been supportive of reasonable counter measures. I've taken some flack for it, we joined the other provinces in turning off the ordering system for American liquor to send the message that we're united on that. We have got a buy local campaign that has started... we're assessing our procurement policies to see how we might be able to buy more steal and aluminum from Quebec and Ontario. That is a full team Canada approach," she said.
If you're asking me, do I support giving $40 billion more to the federal liberals, 100 per cent no. There's nothing that is going to convince me of that."
Smith also added she's had productive talks with other premiers about how to build a better Canada going forward.
"What I have found, is that my fellow premiers鈥� no matter their political stripe have all been very constructive," she said.
"That was the agreement we signed on to last week. We all agreed that we were going to work on economic corridors to get our product to market, including oil, gas, transmission lines, roads, broadband, raillines, new port infrastructure. I am delighted to see that at the subnational level, we have unity on that. Let's build on that. That is the way in which we are going to make this country really work again. To also make sure we maintain a superpower status in our own right, by being a major export market. I'm feeling very encouraged with what I'm seeing on a provincial level."
A group called the Commonwealth of Alberta Delegation to Washington recently said they are "committed to a successful independence referendum to create an Independent Commonwealth of Alberta prior to December 15th, 2025."
In a press release on March 25, the group said "Premier Smith鈥檚 recent announcement of a list of Specific Demands of the Government of Canada has all but guaranteed an independence Referendum to be held in Alberta this Calendar year."
Last month, Smith made several demands of Prime Minister Carney in order to prevent "an unprecedented national unity crisis," including:
-Guaranteeing Alberta full access to unfettered oil and gas corridors to the north, east, and west
-Repealing Bill C-69 (aka. 鈥渘o new pipelines act鈥�)
-Lifting the tanker ban off the B.C. coast
-Eliminating the oil and gas emissions cap, which is a production cap
-Scrapping the so-called Clean Electricity Regulations
-Ending the prohibition on single use plastics
-Abandoning the net-zero car mandate
-Returning oversight of the industrial carbon tax to the provinces
-Halting the federal censorship of energy companies
