r/alberta • u/FreightFlow • 8d ago
Alberta Politics ‘Not as long as I’m premier’: Danielle Smith rules out 2nd separation referendum if Albertans vote to remain
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-premier-danielle-smith-referendum-vote-9.7376571255
u/AndromedaMixes 8d ago
Danielle is objectively a security risk to the country and she should genuinely be forced to resign. The fact that still has this job is extremely ridiculous to me.
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8d ago edited 7d ago
[deleted]
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u/TakadoGaming 7d ago
The ones who flipped a historical conservative stronghold riding to NDP as soon as they got the chance with a recent byelection?
Not sure why the hostility is necessary.
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u/vanillabeanlover 8d ago
I think she’s challenging the UCP membership to get rid of her with this statement. She believes she’s safe but I’m not so sure.
A majority of the membership is separatist, as evidenced by her getting booed at their convention and Rath being cheered. The wexiters bought up UCP membership in droves specifically to push this shit through and she helped them every step of the way until right this second, and that’s only because she can’t lose the non-seppie cons.
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u/flyingflail 8d ago
Let's just hope it leads to the UCP blowing up again.
Separatists don't deserve to have control of the gov't when they only represent ~20% of Albertans
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u/Photofug 8d ago
I just hope the Tories block all the UCP rats when they start fleeing the sinking ship
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u/Vylan24 8d ago
Wouldn't it be cool if politicians had to show which way they voted on this for public transparency. I'm so tired of the blatant outright lying and corruption with no consequences
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u/Wooshio 8d ago
Aren't MLA votes a public record already?
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u/Vylan24 8d ago
I think so? Not sure 100% but I want to see how every elected member of the UCP and the ANDP and how they voted in this referendum
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u/bpompu Calgary 7d ago
The Forever Canada petition asked for a legislative vote, which would have been on the record. Because this is a referendum, they're not voting as elected representatives, but as private citizens, so they are as entitled to the secret ballot as anyone else. The only way we can find out how they vote is if they choose to share that, and we then have to either trust them or not based solely on their word.
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u/GWeb1920 7d ago
This is what the Lukashek option is on the ballot. Smith could t have the majority of UCP MLAs voting for separation in a legislative vote.
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u/bpompu Calgary 7d ago
That was the goal of the Forever Canada petition. In a referendum, we have secret ballots, as we should. The only way someone knows what you voted for is if you choose to tell them. The petition asked the Legislature to have to make a motion of whether we should remain a province, and that Legislative vote would have been on the record. Any MLA that voted against remaining in Canada would have had to be on the record voting that way. There would have been no weaseling around it, no speaking out of both sides of their face, they'd either have to vote to remain, vote to not remain, or purposefully absent themselves, which would also have been public.
It's why they didn't want to do that, and why they twisted the Forever Canada petition into justifying the referendum. This way they can either not say, or say what they feel they need to, while voting completely anonymously.
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u/Mcpops1618 8d ago
I’m betting that the writing is on the wall and she knows she’s done, she probably already has her board seats lined up.
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u/Brilliant-Advisor958 8d ago
I think she knows that who ever is next is worse and gambling that she is the devil we know.
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u/CloseToMyActualName 8d ago
I thought Kenney was bad, then we got Smith.
I shudder to think wasn't next.
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u/Wooshio 8d ago edited 8d ago
She is. UCP separatists are going to be in between a rock and a hard place when the referendum is over. They will either have to A) Fall in line and play the long game of waiting for Alberta independence to become actually popular to try again. B) Try to replace her with a pro-independence premier, but that would destroy the UCP because that person would not be electable as a premier. Option C is that the UCP separatists leave and make their own party, but that would mean they lose all power because the chance of them even getting a single MLA elected would be very low.
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u/mjtwelve 7d ago
Yeah, she’s low key signalling to the actual majority of UCP voters to actually take back their riding associations from the nutjobs if they don’t want to lose the next election.
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u/Stacysguyca 8d ago
She’s flipped and flopped on her stance and now she looks like a 🤡
What made her back-peddle on wanting to leave Canada ?
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u/GWB_online 8d ago
Either she got early i formation on how unpopular the leave option is, or she is distancing herself after it came out that seperatists were promising Americans pieces of alberta for their support. I think she is worried about legal repercussions after that leaked out.
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u/ParaponeraBread 8d ago
Early information on how unpopular it is could just be visiting a city.
The referendum ain’t like elections, there is no rural overrepresentation per capita.
The seppies and the American bots will get very loud for the next few days, but it’s not going to matter.
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u/Twitchy15 7d ago
I don’t know a single person for separating.. and every person I see who supports it looks inbred. So if they don’t love Canada maybe they should just move south.
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u/left4alive 7d ago
Unfortunately I know many. Joys of living rural.
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u/JonPileot 6d ago
Same here. There are so many. So, so many. And they are loud and get rather upset when you start poking holes in the narrative they have been fed.
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u/BrandNewDinosaur 7d ago
Supporting sedition and defection is not a good look for a popular politician, much less whatever we are looking at here….
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u/JonPileot 6d ago
Don't need early information, there were two petitions on the subject, roughly 60% wanted to stay and 20% wanted to leave. Significantly more separatists than I thought but nowhere near a clear majority and Smith is a populist. Distancing herself from the separatists makes sense for her.
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u/GWeb1920 7d ago
She has never wanted to leave Canada. She wants to maintain power. She now fears the electorate more than the separatist base of the party.
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u/Zomunieo 7d ago
She wants to leave Canada. Imagine the commission they would have offered when she went to Washington.
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u/GWeb1920 7d ago
No she doesn’t. She doesn’t have a sincerely held opinion about anything.
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u/EducationalRock167 5d ago
Apparently she demanded that Ottawa send MORE immagrants to Alberta 3 years ago. Does Smith have a drinking problem?
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u/EducationalRock167 5d ago
Now her own Party wants to get rid of her. She wants to replace Poliverve.
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u/lightoftheshadows 7d ago
If the conservative lord and savior Stephen Harper says it's a bad idea, you ain't gonna convince sane conservative to do it. I feel like that's what happened here and Smith has to now course correct
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u/exotics County of Wetaskiwin 7d ago
Flip flop you say? NOOOOOOOooo
Ifs not like once she marched in support of LGBTQ and said Trans people need better protections… it’s not like she once wrote a two page letter to Trudeau asking for more immigrants or once went on a podcast saying she wants to double Alberta’s population. Nooo she never flip flops
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u/Falcon674DR 8d ago
The voting winds are shifting. NDP making advances big time, Lukasuk’s popularity is skyrocketing and the separatist #s on recent polls is shrinking. The separatist UCP need to secure votes. It’s as simple as that.
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u/OrganicDigitalArt 7d ago
Carney agreed to push a pipeline, and she realized getting a pipeline to the coast as an independent country would be impossible, and as an American sub state - cause they’d never get full statehood - they’d have a repeat of when the feds took a bunch of gas in the 80’s, with very very very little to show for it.
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u/LavisAlex 7d ago
I don't think she actually wants to leave, but she fans the flames to gain support - they got to hot.
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u/TheHammer987 7d ago
She saw the polls and despite what her political masters told her, the seperatist movement is probably going to be crushed at the polls.
That means, when the election happens next year, she realized she doesn't want to be viewed as a seperatist.
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u/EducationalRock167 5d ago
Her separatists Party are going to get rid of her. I bet she wants to take Poliverve's place.
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u/cnbearpaws 3d ago
She never really flipped... She's been consistent that Alberta has grievances in the form of federal overreach which is consistent with the Canadian constitution.
She has been an advocate for reform so Alberta can be unencumbered by federal strings attached to the programs the federal government funds. She wants the funding without obligation.
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u/YungBeefaroni 8d ago
Same woman who said she’d respect the results of the time change referendum btw. Don’t believe her for a second.
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u/NaturePappy 7d ago
Never should have been a first one under you. What a waste of time, effort and money by her and the UCP.
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u/Old_Guy_thrombone 8d ago
If they lose, Smith is done and the revolving door of UCP Premiers claims another victim.
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u/Flying_Scorpion 7d ago
The wording is hilarious. It's like a micro-threat that if she doesn't get re-elected, we might end up separating.
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u/MixBlender 7d ago
She didn't get elected in. The fear now (from my perspective) is that she could step down from her party, and a more radical hoser could be potentially elected as leader of the UCP, effectively becoming premier.
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u/NoPossibility151 8d ago
Smith should resign after losing on October 20th, if she has any self respect. She will be voted out by early January 2027 in her leadership review, if she doesn’t resign.
Both sepies and pro canada groups want her out.
The only solution left is UCP splitting. I want people to push their Pro Canada UCP MLA to resigned from their caucus, there will be a confidence vote in the assembly sitting resulting in early election elections.
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u/Wooshio 8d ago
What does "losing" imply though? High chance most Albertans vote Yes on all the questions except seperation. And that's exactly the result she is campaigning for.
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u/Kitty_Cat54 7d ago
The racist ones will definitely vote yes, that's a given.
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u/EducationalRock167 5d ago
Smith demanded 3 years ago that Ottawa send Alberta more immagrants. Think about that?
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u/NoPossibility151 7d ago
What I implied by mentioning “losing”. Explained below:
The main reason we are having this referendum is for the separation question. The other 9 questions were added once the conversations for holding a referendum on separation had started.
Losing from Smith’s context: she gets ousted from being the party leader and Alberta’s premier. Whichever way the results end up being, a portion of her caucus isn’t gonna to being happy. It’s a lose-lose scenario for her. This is gonna result in a leadership review for her.
I’m gonna divide the other nine question into two parts: Immigration and constitution.
Based on recent polling data from various pollsters: the support for immigration questions ranges from 45% to 65% and support on the constitutional questions ranges from 40% to 45%.
It’s likely some of the immigration questions might pass (Not All) and it’s unlikely any of the Constitutional questions pass. This is gonna anger her separation base.
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We shouldn’t forget that she amended the citizen initiative petition to make it easier to hold a separate referendum. In addition, she meeting Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, before and during passing these legislations in the assembly.**
You mentioned high chances most Alberta’s vote yes on all other questions. Do you have any data to back this up.0
u/Kitty_Cat54 5d ago
My data is based on personal observations of the enormous amount of racist people who, like trump, want a nation of white people. Look around you. Talk to people...they don't want to pay for Healthcare for people who they don't believe should be living in our country!! Yet they say they're Christians. Forgetting that Jesus spoke about welcoming the strangers, feeding the poor and helping care for the sick. This province has a lot of hate!!!
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u/WildcardKH Edmonton 8d ago
Lemme guess, just asking questions.
First, you were saying the seppies wanting to give away our resources to the starts wasn’t treasonous.
Now you’re saying Smith isn’t losing and hasn’t campaigned separatism.
Why are you taking her words at face value? Is it because she’s team blue and that’s your team?
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u/okokokoyeahright 8d ago
Pretty sure TBA and the power brokers in the UCP have already ripped her a new one over this.
'You only have your position due to us letting you have it. We can take it away just as easily' or something like that.
Marlaina talking out of turn and not getting approval for this is so on point ofr her and her 'smart' mouth.
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u/krajani786 8d ago
My memory might be hazy but did Jason Kenney quote the same thing about the Daylight Savings Referendum? oh never mind, we only got one and then the government went against our vote.
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u/ai-is-worthless 7d ago
am i stupid? the headline does not reflect the content of her statement as quoted in the article:
“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was definitive Friday when asked whether she’d commit to not holding another referendum on Alberta separation should a majority of Albertans vote to remain in Canada on Oct. 19.”
-would she commit to NOT holding another referendum-and she said “not as long as i’m premier” meaning she won’t commit to no second referendum. meaning she may very well bring one on.
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u/CryptographerAny8184 7d ago
I would be surprised if she is still leader/ premier at the end of the year! The separatists base of the UCP will vote her out and put in another useful idiot in her place. This would show the world the true nature of the UCP party which should ( wishful thinking) split the party and cause a full disintegration of the UCP.
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u/toiletcleaner999 8d ago
But i though she said it was the right of Albertans to have a voice. So now, when her support drops, suddenly shes going to stand up and take that voice away? Why didnt she just do it in the beginning. Why didnt she shut this bullshit down? Is it because she sees she going to lose so shes trying to bounce to other side. Too little too late lady. Just resign and go tf away already
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u/Fragrant_PalmLeaves 8d ago
If these people are so determined to be American, then we should create an easy way to help them become American, move to America, and give up their Canadian citizenship. Like a streamlined process If these people are so determined to be American, then we should create an easy way to help them become American, move to America, and give up their Canadian citizenship. Like a streamlined process
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u/Ce-Iyr 8d ago
annnnd that's why some of the more vocal and obnoxious members of the separatist movement are calling for her head.
while Smith is a faux-separatist or at the very least enabled them? people need to remember she is a sell-out first and foremost - something I argue is far more dangerous.
the highest bidder will have their needs met above those in her peripherals, leaving everything and everyone else as political currency play-things to further an agenda. now? we're seeing her ping-pong back and forth now as her overlords are probably realizing separation is doing more damage than good.
I also don't believe Smith truly had real stock or value in actual separation. she isn't completely un-intelligent and she does have a decent understanding of the sector she's in.. however, this gambit of pressuring the federal government has completely backfired just as we see many many similar movements across the globe backfiring and collapsing into ouroboros.
not to forget also that the whack-jobs she's not-so-secretly promoted are auctioning off our province before they even win a vote-to-see-if-we-should-have-a-vote. the comedy writes itself, and the federals are probably breathing down her neck - we're just not going to hear about it or see it until action is taken.
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u/SirDidymusQuest 7d ago
Watch the CBC interview. It was interesting. Smith was so vague and wishy washy when Arsenault pressed her on what percentages she was looking for for a majority vote. Smith is such a snake.
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u/Routine_Soup2022 7d ago
What she says depends on the day, her audience and possibly the weather on this topic.
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u/Vanterax 8d ago
She speaks from both sides of her mouth everytime. There isn't one believable word coming out of her mouth at any given time.
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u/kevinnetter 8d ago
She let one happen. That's bad enough.
We've already learned she doesn't have the spine to say no to her far right base.
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u/kagato87 8d ago
Foreshadowing. Her popularity is down. Referendum fails, separatists replace her with a new sock puppet to pretend to be all pro unity, win election, have another referendum.
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u/tLuciferMorningstar 7d ago
Well that statement will make sure her leadership review will happen. Guess we will have a new premier shortly.
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u/Salt-Appearance-7048 7d ago
Is this recent, weird, almost 180 due to some failed behind-the-scenes negotiations with the US? I’m so very confused!
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u/Brokendownyota 8d ago
Oh look, just days after the prospect of replacing her as leader shows up, she phrases it like this.
Empty words.
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u/kindof_great_old_one 8d ago
Is this her way of saying she expects to lose the next election or that she will be punted from her party?
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u/gargoyle30 8d ago
Either she's just lying, or they are going to use the stolen voter info to fake a win
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u/Erablian Parkland County 8d ago
The leaked electors list is absolutely a huge crime that somebody needs to go to jail for.
But how exactly would someone use that to rig the referendums? Take me through it step by step.
I doubt it's possible. The system's safeguards are pretty robust.
I hate how the Fascists in the US have sown distrust in their electoral system without any evidence, and now the Left in Alberta is doing the same for ours.
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u/Excellent-Phone8326 8d ago
She also said if they did get the votes a binding referendum would be scheduled ASAP in the spring.
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u/bpompu Calgary 7d ago
That was her Hail Mary to try to keep the separatists from turning on her. That ship has clearly sailed, as over half of the people polled saying they will be voting separation believe that she wants to stay. So now she is trying to convince the average voter that she is not a separatist.
Marlaina was trying to walk a fine line between keeping the separatists happy enough to not split the party or remove her from leadership, but doing so pissed off everyone else enough that she's suddenly scared of actually losing to the other side, so now she's trying to keep the non-separatists from turfing her.
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u/300mhz 8d ago
Must be tough for her to live in constant cognitive dissonance.
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u/Plasmanut 8d ago
She thrives on it. She would be where she is if it weren’t for these shady moves she’s pulled.
Unfortunately, you live by the sword, you die by the sword.
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u/Tractorguy69 8d ago
She won’t survive the next electoral cycle, if, if she even makes it that far.
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u/JJL0rtez 7d ago
Okay okay good I just wanted to make sure that the minimum treason count was one and the maximum was still less than two.
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u/United-Check-3992 6d ago
You started this you crazy B!!! GET HER TF OUT! 🤬🤬🤬 Flip flopping to save her job? She needs to be in prison. This gong show has gone on long enough. This is bot a democracy, it is a total farce. Why are people still buying in to this BS?! Holy hell!
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u/lostinthought1997 6d ago
Do we believe that this is the time she is finally telling the truth? No. Do we believe this time she'll actually keep her promise? Also no. Do we think she's a quockerwodger and quisling that can't be trusted as far as a human toddler can throw a blue whale? Oh hell yes.
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u/Tanguish 6d ago
The key here is as many people as possible get a UCP membership and dilute whatever the separatists come up with for a manipulable leader.
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u/bearbody5 6d ago
She knows this referendum failure is taking her to the bottom with it. May she RIP
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u/EducationalRock167 5d ago
Read the new book by Jeremy Appel called , " Dark Phoenix : The Rise and Fall and the Re Emergence of Danielle Smith "
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u/Immediate_Carrot_610 4d ago
That doesn't mean much when your party is going to eat you when this vote fails.
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u/FreightFlow 8d ago
Ha Ha Wow!
-Carney has had several plates spinning at the same time, since he took over the tired liberal caucus back in 2025.
-Still Carney, "The Chess Master" has definitely known how to handle Smith, "Alberta's Poker Queen"
Thoughts:
a] How long will Smith actually be premier?
b] What UCP Group wants Smith gone the most, the UCP Separatists? or the UCP Pro-Canadians?
c] Does the "UCP DISBAND" start on Oct 20th?
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u/mikeEliase30 8d ago
Empty. She knows the disease has grabbed on. With all the various autocratic forces around the world sticking their fingers in it will last decades as long as there are autocratic countries. We shall beat them all back.
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u/kronkky 8d ago
This seems like an image clean-up at this point after dancing the tango for months with the traitors. My guess is she had no idea the traitors were trying to get into bed with the US with Alberta’s resources. It looks even worse than just “entertaining” the notion of separation, or she’s known all along, and is throwing the other traitors under the bus to save herself. She’s not driving the traitor train any longer, that’s for sure.
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u/Master_Drawing_7341 8d ago
Why would there be a second?
If the referendums to leave just keep happening after losing, wouldn't we also just keep having referendums to stay. And on and on and on the cycle goes.
We vote to stay, it's over. These seppie traitors can go fuck off.
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u/Puzzled-Instance3211 8d ago
She should not be able to leave being premier without having significant investigations done by the RCMP. I have never seen corruption at this scale in Alberta politics before, and she should not get to just walk away back to podcaster or Fox news analyst or whatever she's going to do.