Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has compared Alberta's upcoming vote on whether to hold an independence referendum to Brexit, calling it a 'dangerous bluff'. Carney, who was Governor of the Bank of England during the 2016 EU referendum, warned that a decade later, the UK is still 'trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for, but what they ended up having'.
Danielle Smith, leader of the oil-rich western province of Alberta, announced last week that a vote would be held on October 19 on whether to stay part of Canada or move towards a binding referendum on breaking away. Carney noted that Smith's party did not campaign on holding a referendum in the last provincial election, questioning whether it represents the democratic will of Albertans.
Carney drew parallels to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the Brexit referendum to silence internal Tory dissent while wanting to remain in the EU. He warned that such votes are often presented as a 'free option' to strengthen a negotiating hand, but can lead to unintended consequences. 'I saw first hand what happened in the United Kingdom,' he said.
Carney highlighted his government's efforts to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada's Pacific coast, addressing complaints about insufficient export support. He expressed confidence in making the case for a united Canada over the next 150 days. Smith, meanwhile, attributed frustrations to the 'disastrous policies' of former leader Justin Trudeau and urged Canadians not to dismiss legitimate grievances.
