Alberta calls a referendum on holding a referendum
5/23/202650 min
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has a plan: Hold a referendum in October to decide whether to push for a legally binding referendum on independence in the future. Confused? Host Catherine Cullen has it covered. Pro-separation lawyer Keith Wilson and federalist champion Thomas Lukaszuk will share their thoughts on Smith's decision. And the godfather of Prairie populism, former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, weighs in on the vote.
Plus, environmental groups are concerned about Canada's climate commitments after Carney signed an agreement with Alberta that could usher in a new oil pipeline. Is the Prime Minister simply being pragmatic or has he largely given up the fight against climate change? Current and former climate advisors Michael Bernstein and Simon Donner explain their opposing reactions to Carney's new deal.
And, Conservative MP Michael Chong went to Taiwan this week… specifically because Chinese officials warned Canadian parliamentarians not to go. Chong talks to The House about his defiant trip, his hopes of shoring up peace in the region and whether he believes his travel could hurt Canada’s growing economic ties to Beijing.
This episode features the voices of:
- Keith Wilson, pro-separation lawyer
- Thomas Lukaszuk, leader of the Forever Canadian petition
- Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party of Canada
- Michael Bernstein, CEO of Clean Prosperity
- Simon Donner, climate scientist and professor at the University of British Columbia
- Michael Chong, Conservative MP
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Speaker 20:31
[upbeat music] This is a CBC podcast.
Danielle Smith· Soundbite0:38
[upbeat music] We will continue to work on undoing the last 10 years of damaging Trudeau NDP policies and fight for a stronger Alberta within a united Canada, and we'll find out what Albertans think on this matter on October the 19th. Albertans will decide, not politicians, not the courts, and certainly not the Ottawa pundits.
Catherine Cullen· Host1:08
She's doing it. Danielle Smith is the first federalist premier to ask people in her province to vote on separation. Thing is, the question they'll vote on is a bit messy. It's not a vote on whether to separate, but a vote on whether to have another vote on separation. I'm Catherine Cullen, and this week on The House, we're gonna find out how Smith's remarkable