Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced Wednesday the creation of a panel to explore the province’s future relationship with Canada, as separatist sentiment grows following the federal Liberal Party’s election victory.
Smith said the “Alberta Next Panel” will conduct public meetings and recommend proposals for voter consideration in 2026 referendums.
“Albertans have had enough of Ottawa’s economic attacks on our province and know it’s time to take a stand,” Smith wrote on social media.
The announcement escalates tensions between Alberta and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government, which won a fourth consecutive term in April.
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Smith’s United Conservative Party government lowered the signature threshold for citizen-initiated referendums in late April from about 600,000 to 177,000. Pro-separation groups say they can meet that target.
Recent surveys indicate more than one-third of Albertans favor separation, with support reaching nearly two-thirds among Smith’s party base.
Smith says she personally opposes separation but has promised to hold a referendum if enough citizens petition for one. She has said she will “respect the outcome” of any such vote.
The panel will allow Albertans to “speak directly with government and industry leaders, constitutional scholars, and policy experts,” according to Smith’s announcement. It will explore ways for Alberta to “assert our constitutional rights” and “protect Alberta from outside economic attacks.”
Smith’s administration has previously deployed provincial sovereignty legislation to resist Ottawa’s environmental regulations. Indigenous leaders have criticized separation discussions, emphasizing that Alberta exists on lands governed by historic treaties between First Nations and the federal Crown.
Smith has said managing separatist sentiment helps prevent new political movements from challenging her party. The oil-rich province has long clashed with Ottawa over energy and environmental policies. Alberta contributes more to federal revenues than it receives back in spending.
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