Danielle Smith claims she didn’t sign independence petition
(Calgary) Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she did not sign the petition to hold a referendum to take the province out of Confederation.
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In an unrelated announcement in Calgary on Thursday, Mr.me Smith confirmed he did not sign any petition.
“I think a process started by the citizens is for the citizens, and so I monitor all the petition campaigns that are out there,” she explained.
“If one of them obtains the required number of signatures, we will then have to discuss the priority to be given to holding a referendum. »
The campaign for an Alberta independence referendum is now in its second month of collecting signatures. The Stay Free Alberta group has until May to get nearly 178,000 signatures.
Mme Smith has long tried to stay above the fray, saying she supports a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, but believes in direct democracy.
However, she and her United Conservative Party government faced a series of calls to denounce the independence movement, which they rejected.
The Prime Minister said she would not demonize those who have lost hope in Canadian federalism.
She argued that it is her responsibility, as well as that of Ottawa, to prove that Canada can still function in the interests of the province.
