EDMONTON — The former federal cabinet minister responsible for the law dictating what happens after a provincial separation vote says Premier Danielle Smith must answer questions before a referendum.

Stéphane Dion, a former Liberal leader, tabled the Clarity Act in 1999 after the unsuccessful referendum in Quebec four years earlier.

The act says a vote with a clear majority in favour of separation creates an obligation for provincial and federal governments to enter negotiations that could, one day, lead to secession.

Dion says unlike Quebec, Alberta seems poised to vote on the province quitting Canada without a provincial government committed to the cause.

He says Smith must make it clear to Albertans whether she’d carry through with those negotiations and what she would consider a clear majority.

Dion says Smith has put Alberta on a “worrying” path by changing referendum rules to make it easier for a separation vote without taking a stand on what she would do after.

He says he doesn’t think a majority of Albertans want to separate, but governments must prepare for all scenarios.

A petition collecting signatures to force a referendum in Alberta is in its second month, and organizers have said they expect to get more than the required 178,000 names.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press