Prime Minister Mark Carney says an overwhelming vote by people in Alberta to remain part of Canada is a "great result" for the country. Speaking to reporters as he walked into a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Carney said he was "thrilled that Albertans have chosen unity" by rejecting a proposal to pursue separation through a binding referendum. Preliminary results indicate more than two-thirds chose Canada over a push for independence for the province, according to Elections Alberta, external.
Monday's referendum was the result of a months-long campaign by separatists in the western Canadian province to get a public vote on the issue. Provincial leader Danielle Smith welcomed the initial results, commenting: "Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada." Premier Smith herself opposed the separatist push but said the public will for a vote was undeniable, and many supporters of her own political party - United Conservative Party - were in the separatist camp. Smith said she would address Albertans later on Tuesday on the path forward for the province.
In making the case for independence from Canada, many of the separatists said the oil-rich province's economic growth had been stifled by the environmental policies of Canada's central government in Ottawa. But those who opposed a breakup - including Carney - called for Canada to present a united front in the face of external pressures, including an ongoing trade war with the United States. "They've chosen to build together," Carney said.
"They've chosen to continue to take care of each other, to move forward, to move forward together, with purpose, high ambition." Carney added that he had spoken to Smith that morning and discussed "moving forward in the spirit of cooperative federalism, including on issues of immigration, other common priorities". Over the past year, the prime minister has worked with Smith on a number of shared goals, including pushing for an oil pipeline to the Pacific coast. Huge setback for Alberta's separatist movement after decisive defeat At a pro-separatist watch party in Edmonton, the hum of upbeat chatter quickly quieted as those present saw the projected results.
After overnight vote projections were published by Canadian broadcaster CBC and others, the mood soured. The watch party attended by the BBC packed up quickly, and people went home. One of the separatist leaders, Jeffrey Rath, struck a defiant tone, however, vowing that "our movement isn't stopping and we're continuing to move forward".
Speaking to the BBC World Service's Newsday programme, Rath, a lawyer based in Calgary, said he saw Monday's vote as a "first step" which had taught the movement some "valuable lessons". Asked whether his movement would push to keep holding votes on independence until it got the result it wanted, he responded "why not?", and insisted that "the math and the economics" all added up on his side of the argument. Premier Scott Moe, from the province of Saskatchewan, said he was glad Albertans chose unity, but added that "there is still work to be done on improving how Western Canada is treated by Ottawa".
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