Danielle Smith’s referendum gamble
Posted May 29, 2026 7:09 am.
As separatist sentiment swirls across Alberta, the country has been holding it’s breath and wondering: “will we face another separation referendum?” It seemed inevitable, as Premier Danielle Danielle Smith changed the rules to make putting a referendum forward easier.
But a court decision rejected their petition on the grounds that Indigenous peoples who would be affected were not properly consulted. Smith has since announced a compromise, of sorts: a referendum on whether or not to have a separation referendum.
Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Ryan Jespersen, host of “Real Talk,” an Alberta daily news and politics show, to get the perspective from the ground, and discuss how she has managed to anger both federalist and separatist Albertans.
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