The two mayors of the great city of Alberta say that a separation referendum would be “devastating” for their local economies and is an unnecessary distraction for a period in which the country must focus on the unit.
“It’s a very dangerous talk,” said Edmonton Mayor Amarjet Sohi, in an interview with Canadian Press. “It is a dangerous talk for our economy. It is a dangerous talk for our social cohesion. It will tear the communities.”
The discontent in western Canada has collected a renewed traction with the liberals of Prime Minister Mark Carney winning a mandate in the recent elections and a new bill of the Government of Prime Minister Danielle Smith that would facilitate taking the questions directed by citizens to a referendum.
The bill would reduce the number of signatures necessary for a referendum directed by Citizens about a constitutional question to 177,000 signatures of more than 600,000. It would also extend the allowed time frame for these signatures to be collected 120 days from 90.
The Supreme Court of Canada has issued that a province cannot be separated unilaterally from the country. A vote to severe ties would send to the province and the federal government to negotiations about a litany of issues ranging from the first nation treaties to the property of federal lands such as national parks. While Smith has deferred legal academics in those questions, constitutional experts have said that there is no road map for separation negotiations.
Critics have accused Smith of fanning the embers of separatism for a period in which Canada’s relationship with his closest ally has been frayed under the president of the United States, Donald Trump. Smith, meanwhile, has said that the Government has been pointing to those changes for a long time because it felt that the previous bar of signatures was impossible.
Earlier this week, Smith told CTV that he does not want to see the splinter of the separatism movement in a conventional party such as the Quebecois block or Pari Quebecois in Quebec.
“If there is no way out [for frustration] Create a new party, “he said.
Sohi, who was running without success for liberals in federal elections and is not running for re -election in Edmonton this fall, said having a referendum on the issue of separation would cause “full investment flight of our communities.”
“I am already listening to the members of the business community here in Edmonton that they are deeply concerned about this question,” said Sohi. “If there were a referendum, it will definitely cause a complete investment flight of our communities.”
The municipalities of Alberta, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Alberta Commercial Council declined to comment.
The mayor of Calgary, Jyoti Gondek, said in an interview that reducing the threshold to present a referendum is a distraction for a time when Canada needs to strengthen its economy.
“Create uncertainty. Creates lack of investor confidence,” Gondek said. “It is a dangerous game to play at a time that we should be taking care of ourselves.”
He added that Calgary and other Alberta municipalities have heads with the province on many occasions, but have never considered leaving. Calgary and the Provincial Government have selected in recent years in numerous issues, including the destination of the green line transit project of one billion dollars and a bill that gives the province greater control over the financing agreements between the city and the federal government.
“The municipalities in this province have gone through a lot. We have been surprised by the legislation that has stripped us of the skills to do our job. But once it has seen a municipality say:” I want to get away from the province. I want to be an independent entity. “We don’t do that because we know it’s not sustainable,” Gondek said.
“So how the demon can this province think that it is a good idea to separate from the rest of Canada?”
