Smith says she plans to vote in favour of Alberta staying in Canada.

Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans will be able to vote in the fall on whether they want the province to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada.

In a pre-recorded speech broadcast Thursday evening, Smith said a question will be added to a provincewide referendum in October that will ask, “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

Smith said a vote in favour of separation doesn’t trigger the process, but will instead allow Alberta to start a legal process required to hold a binding referendum.

In her address on Thursday, she also affirmed that she would vote in favour of staying in Canada.

In a ruling last week, Justice Shaina Leonard of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta put a stop to a petition calling for a referendum on independence that was being circulated by the pro-separatist group Stay Free Alberta. That petition asked Albertans if they wanted Alberta to “cease to be part of Canada to become an independent state.”

Smith had strong words in her address on Thursday for what she called “a legal mistake by a single judge” and a “troubling court decision.”

Smith and Stay Free Alberta said they are going to appeal the decision. However, the premier, in her speech, reminded people the process could take years to resolve.

“Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society,” Smith said.

“It’s time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on.”

Smith spent part of her address speaking directly to the more than 300,000 people who signed the Stay Free Alberta petition.

She said the tide has turned since Mark Carney succeeded Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister. Since Carney became prime minister, there have been more discussions between the federal government and Alberta about how to advance energy and resource development.

Smith said she has empathy for Albertans who want independence, and understands why they are frustrated with the province’s position in the federation.

She had a message for them Thursday night: don’t give up on Confederation.

“I ask you to please consider joining me to vote for Alberta to remain in Canada, and not give up on our beautiful country just as we’re gaining respect and the tide has turned in our favour,” Smith said.

However, Jeff Rath, a separatist proponent who is legal counsel for Stay Free Alberta, was not happy.

"Danielle Smith deals a referendum question from the bottom of the deck," he posted on social media. "To hell with 301,620 Albertans who were promised a vote on their question.

"Let's have a referendum on having a referendum. Danielle Smith just lost her base!"



(In an address to the province on Thursday evening, Danielle Smith appealed directly to the province’s separatists: 'Now is not the time to give up hope in our country.')

Rath has threatened to organize UCP members to vote against Smith's leadership if she doesn't put a question on leaving Canada to a vote.

Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier of Alberta and the proponent of the pro-Canada Forever Canadian petition campaign, said during a news conference that followed Smith's address Thursday night that he doesn't blame people if they are confused about the premier's referendum plan.

Lukaszuk and his volunteers collected more than 400,000 signatures in favour of Alberta remaining within Canada.

"That's not what leadership is all about," he said about Smith's referendum plans.

"Leadership is about making difficult decisions for the good of the country, even when from time to time they are not popular with your own political base."

Alberta First Nations are also pushing back against Smith.

Joey Pete, grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations, said he is frustrated and that he believes the premier continues to ignore the treaty rights of First Nations.

"No respect whatsoever to treaty," he said in an interview with CBC News. "Even this duty to consult, they didn't consult us regarding anything."

Pete said he believes the separatist movement is dividing people in the province and contributing to an increase in racism. He said Smith should instead focus on issues like homelessness and high unemployment.

Pete said he expects First Nations to unite in an effort to push back against the referendum.

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said he planned to fight against the referendum and urged Edmontonians not be complacent and to vote this fall.

In a statement, he said Smith and the UCP government's "separatist agenda" is creating "severe economic uncertainty" that he believes will put a damper on investment opportunities and kill jobs.

He said the government should be focused on health care and education.

"Moving forward with a referendum to do another referendum does nothing to help, and wastes our money," Knack said.

"It is a distraction from the issues facing everyday Albertans.

"When the separatist agenda and virtue-signalling take priority over stable and collaborative governance, Albertans lose out."

Committee wraps up

Hours before Smith’s address, a legislative committee looking at Lukaszuk's petition completed two days of meetings.

The committee approved a motion on Thursday that will recommend to the government that the question on the ballot this fall “include an option for Albertans to vote for Alberta to remain in Canada.”

Wednesday’s committee meeting on the Forever Canadian petition went off the rails when the governing United Conservative caucus issued a news release stating MLAs on the committee had approved a question to recommend to the government before the committee even voted on a motion.

Committee chair and MLA Brandon Lunty, who was quoted in the release, refused an NDP request to recuse himself from the meeting.

By Michelle Bellefontaine