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Carney makes final appeal against Alberta separation vote: 'This is not a game'
Canada's prime minister warned in Edmonton that Monday's vote is 'a dangerous bluff' and stood alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in a show of unity.
Why it matters
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal on Friday in his home province of Alberta, warning that Monday's vote is a dangerous gamble at the worst possible time, with a US trade war and threats to Canada's sovereignty hanging over the country.
"Don't let anyone tell you this is already decided. Turnout will determine the outcome," Carney told a pro-Canada rally in Edmonton. "This is not a game. This is not poker. A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep uncertainty and lost opportunities for Albertans and Canadians."
Full report
"Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us. Never. Never," Carney warned in Edmonton, closing two days of campaigning against separation in the province.
Earlier Friday, Carney joined Alberta's conservative Premier Danielle Smith in Red Deer in a rare show of unity against independence. Smith praised Carney for improving relations with a province that frequently clashed with his predecessor Justin Trudeau over the carbon tax and other energy policies. "I think what we can agree on is that we have had some real change in the last 18 months," she said.
Monday's vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Albertans will decide whether the province remains as is or instructs the government to begin the legal process toward a future separation referendum. Alberta holds the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves.
Carney framed the vote against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state.
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