Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has described Alberta's upcoming vote on whether to hold an independence referendum as a 'dangerous bluff', drawing direct comparisons with the 2016 Brexit referendum. Carney, who was Governor of the Bank of England at the time of the Brexit vote, warned that such exercises often lead to unintended consequences.
Speaking about the Alberta vote, Carney said: 'In these separation issues, it is often advanced that, 'Vote for this and it is a free option', 'Vote for this, and we will strengthen our hand in a future negotiation'. That is a very dangerous bluff.' He added that the UK is still 'trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for, but what they ended up having' a decade after the Brexit referendum.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced last week that a vote would be held on October 19 on whether the province should stay part of Canada or move towards a binding referendum on independence. Critics have compared her stance to that of former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the Brexit referendum to silence internal party dissent while wanting to remain in the EU.
Carney noted that Smith's party did not campaign on holding a referendum in the last provincial election, questioning the democratic mandate for the vote. He pointed to his government's efforts to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada's Pacific coast as a response to Albertan complaints about insufficient export support.
Smith defended the vote, saying frustrations have been fuelled by the 'disastrous policies' of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She urged Canadians not to dismiss the 'legitimate grievances of Albertans' and to focus on addressing issues to restore hope in Canada.
