EDMONTON — Lawyers for the Alberta government say collecting signatures for a potential referendum on separation doesn’t violate treaty rights nor would holding a vote.

Neil Dobson has told an Edmonton courtroom that the need for consulting First Nations on the matter hasn’t emerged because the province isn’t taking action yet.

Multiple First Nations are challenging the constitutionality of the province’s citizen-initiated referendum process in a multi-day hearing this week.

Lawyers for the First Nations argue the referendum process and its use by separatists in their ongoing petition campaign to force a vote violates treaty rights, including the duty to consult.

Dobson says there’s likely only a need for consultation if a referendum passes and if the province wants to leave Canada.

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is seeking an injunction to put the petition on pause, while Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy are seeking a stay preventing confirmation of the petition’s results until there’s a court decision.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press