Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has branded Alberta’s vote on whether to hold an independence referendum a "dangerous bluff", drawing direct comparisons to the Brexit process in the United Kingdom.
Mr Carney, who served as Governor of the Bank of England in 2016 when Britain voted to leave the European Union, cautioned that a decade on, the UK remains "trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for, but what they ended up having".
Brexit Parallels
His remarks come as Sir Keir Starmer pursues a reset in relations with Brussels, while potential leadership contenders, including former health secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, have both expressed a desire to rejoin the bloc.
Danielle Smith, leader of Canada’s oil-rich western province of Alberta, 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 secession.
Mr Carney stated: "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: "I saw first hand what happened in the United Kingdom when the view was, ‘Vote for this, it’ll be soft and then we’ll negotiate, etc’. They’re still 10 years later trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for, but what they ended up having."
Political Context
Ms Smith has stated that she supports Alberta remaining within Canada. Some observers have drawn comparisons between her stance and that of former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the Brexit referendum to quell internal Tory dissent while personally favouring EU membership. He resigned after the Leave vote.
Notably, Ms Smith’s party did not campaign on a platform of holding a secession referendum during the last provincial election. Mr Carney highlighted this point: "Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn’t. It wasn’t on the ballot paper."
Government Response
The Prime Minister pointed to his government’s efforts to construct an oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast, aimed at addressing Albertan grievances about insufficient support for exports. He emphasised: "We have to be very careful about this. There’s a very strong positive case for Canada, a strong Alberta in a united Canada. I look forward to making that case with many, many other Albertans and Canadians over the course of the next 150 days."
Ms Smith attributed rising frustrations to the "disastrous policies" of former Canadian leader Justin Trudeau. She said: "I would also remind all Canadians that we should not dismiss the legitimate grievances of Albertans. Instead, we should focus on addressing these issues, restoring hope in Canada, and demonstrating that our country can work and is working."
