Naheed Nenshi’s is not mincing words.

“Not only is it lies, not only is it gaslighting, it treats Albertans like they’re idiots and Albertans are not idiots,” the Alberta NDP Leader said on Friday.

The Opposition leader held a news conference to address Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to add a question to the referendum in October that could trigger another, future referendum on the province’s independence.

“The person who is driving this referendum, the person who needed to make this referendum happen is the premier,” said Nenshi.

“She pretends to be an innocent bystander. But last night the mask slipped.”

Surrounded by dozens of reporters waving Canadian flags, and flanked by former Canadian Olympian Catriona Le May Doan at a Friday morning press conference in Calgary, Nenshi accused Smith of portraying herself as being “fiercely loyal to Alberta and Canada” while at the same time he claims her first loyalty is to Alberta separatists.

“She understands that if she comes out as a full-throated separatist, she loses the election, but if she comes out as a full-throated Canadian, she loses her job as leader of the UCP — so let’s be extremely clear, the separatists got her the job as leader, they installed her as the premier.

“We always knew that she owed them something. We never knew precisely what the deal was or what she owed them, and now we know what she owed them was a referendum this fall.”

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says separation question to be added to October referendum

In a provincially-televised paid address Thursday evening, Smith announced she’s adding a question about Alberta’s independence to the referendum ballot that Albertans are scheduled to vote on in October.

But it is not a simple tick of a “yes” or “no” box.

Instead, Albertans will be voting on a question that asks: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

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The first part of the question is taken from the “Forever Canadian” citizens petition, signed by about 400,000 Albertans asking, “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”

The second part of the question added in an apparent attempt to appease the reported 300,000 Albertans who signed a citizen petition circulated by the separatist group “Stay Free Alberta.”

It proposed a referendum asking the question, “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

But that petition, which hasn’t been verified by Elections Alberta, was struck down by the Court of King’s Bench over its failure to consult with First Nations over how Alberta’s independence would affect treaty rights.

Smith has promised to appeal the ruling but said the process could take years. The fall referendum still gives Albertans a chance to have their say, while giving her government the direction it needs, she said.

Speaking at her own Calgary news conference on Friday afternoon, Smith said she will be voting for Alberta to remain in Canada.

She claimed she has been actively campaigning to save the country from the moment she got elected by working to resolve disputes with Ottawa over such issues as immigration, gun control, pipelines and the environment.

“We have an incredible future ahead for our country and province. We are turning the tide on the last 10 years of disastrous policy from Ottawa that held our province back, now that we have a federal government that is starting to work with us in the spirit of cooperative federalism, to undo the damage caused by the previous government,” Smith added.

Asked if her failure to address the demands of many separatists and hold a referendum with a clear-cut question on Alberta’s independence — with some now calling for her to be removed as leader of the UCP — Smith said, “This doesn’t get decided on an AGM (annual general meeting) convention floor by a few thousand delegates.”

“I would say that I’m much more interested in what Albertans as a whole have to say when you are a party leader — yes, that’s one aspect, but you also have to govern for all the people.”

Smith has maintained she supports “a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.”

However, Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown said, “It’s been pretty clear from the beginning that the premier wanted to have a referendum on separation” because her political future depends on it.

“Our polling says that more than half of UCP supporters are also separatists. So she’s walking a delicate tightrope with her base — half of conservatives would vote for separation, half not. Now that makes it tricky for her,” said Brown.

“The other way to look at that, though, is those separatists aren’t leaving the UCP. They’re not forming their own party. So although Danielle Smith says she’s a non-separatist, she’s keeping them in the fold because she’s addressing their concerns.”

With support for Alberta’s independence consistently polling between 25 and 30 per cent amongst all Albertans, and turnout in provincial elections typically low (59.5 per cent in 2023), Brown said many are worried about a “Brexit scenario.”

“It looks like a referendum wouldn’t pass now, but if the messaging is wrong, if the separatists become inflamed, if people who are sitting on the bubble feel like they’re being unheard, and if voter turnout is not what we expect — then you could see this scenario where the separatist sentiment could approach 50 per cent.”

If that happens, it could mean Smith suffers the same fate as former British prime minister David Cameron. He was forced to resign after the United Kingdom unexpectedly voted in 2016 to leave the European Union.

A “Brexit” scenario is a concern of Alberta’s NDP leader.

“You know, there are many, many, many people across Britain who woke up the day after Brexit 10 years ago and said, ‘Oh crap, I should have voted,’” said Nenshi.

“This (referendum) wasn’t our battle. This battle was thrust upon us, but it is the battle of our lives. We will do everything we can.

“We will use every ounce of energy we have in every blood cells, in every one of our bodies saying we are Canadian and we will always be Canadian.”

Asked if she will resign if the pro-independence side wins the referendum — despite Smith claiming she’ll be campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada — she refused to make any such commitment.

The referendum on Oct. 19 will now contain 10 questions — the new one on separatism — along with nine previously announced questions on immigration and possible changes to Canada’s Constitution.

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2 Alberta cabinet ministers quit amid separation vote speculation

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