Braid: Unlike Quebec's PQ, the UCP has no democratic right to hold a vote on separation

Premier Danielle Smith’s separation referendum is important, no doubt of that. But is it legitimate?

The premier and her UCP didn’t mention such a referendum in the 2023 election.

The theme then was sovereignty within a united Canada, a term with its own heavy load of ambiguity.

In my view, the UCP has no democratic authority to propose a vote on separation.

Yet, we face exactly that. Albertans will vote Oct. 19 on whether they want to stay in Canada or advance to a full referendum on separating.

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The UCP argues that referendums are enabled by their direct democracy law.

That law now produces a vote that the vast majority of Albertans never wanted or expected.

Ironically, petitioning citizens did not produce the questions that will be on the ballot.

The separatist question fell afoul of the courts. The government had to replace it with one of its own.

Quebec’s two referendums — in 1980 and 1995 — are often cited as proof that provinces have the right to hold votes on leaving Canada.

In both cases, the Parti Quebecois campaigned and won power on pledges to hold referendums.

Rene Levesque’s victory in 1976 shocked the nation. It took him four years to get to an actual separation vote, which his side lost handily, by 59 per cent to 40 per cent.