Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that Alberta's upcoming vote on whether to hold an independence referendum is a 'dangerous bluff' that could lead to chaos similar to Brexit. Carney, who was Governor of the Bank of England during the 2016 Brexit referendum, said the UK is still 'trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for' a decade later.
Danielle Smith, leader of Alberta's provincial government, announced last week that a vote will be held on October 19 on whether to stay part of Canada or move towards a binding referendum on secession. Critics have compared her stance to that of former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who called the Brexit referendum to silence internal party dissent.
Carney noted that Smith's party did not campaign on holding a referendum in the last provincial election, questioning whether the vote reflects the democratic will of Albertans. He argued that the government is already addressing Alberta's concerns by working to build an oil pipeline to Canada's Pacific coast.
Smith defended the vote, saying frustrations stem from the 'disastrous policies' of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She urged Canadians not to dismiss the legitimate grievances of Albertans and called for addressing issues to restore hope in the federation.
