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Alberta's separatists hit by legal setback as Carney seeks unity
Two First Nations won the ruling after judges said separatists failed to consult treaty partners before seeking signatures for a fall vote.
- On Wednesday, a provincial court blocked Alberta separatists' planned secession referendum, ruling organizers failed to consult First Nations and that treaties signed with the Crown bind the process.
- Earlier this month, separatist group Stay Free Alberta delivered more than 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta after Premier Danielle Smith reduced the signature threshold by half last year.
- Sturgeon Lake Cree First Nation, one of 39 nations that signed a treaty in 1899, argued Alberta treated them as an afterthought, while Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation stated their treaties are constitutionally embedded.
- Premier Danielle Smith said the court decision was 'incorrect in law' and promised to appeal, while Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an energy agreement with her on Friday and stated Thursday that Alberta's best future lies within Canada.
- The separatist campaign faces a data breach involving voter lists and acknowledged foreign interference risks, as political science professor Adrienne Davidson warned the First Nations' legal arguments might block separation altogether.
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Q&A: Why treaty rights and First Nations consultation stand in the way of an Alberta separation referendum
Matthew Wildcat, director of Indigenous governance at the University of Alberta, spoke with CBC’s Edmonton AM on Friday. He explained how Indigenous treaty rights and the duty to consult First Nations could impact a potential Alberta separation referendum.
·Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources6
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 33%
C 67%
Factuality
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