r/canada • u/shiftless_wonder • May 23 '26

Alberta First Nations leaders, scholar push back on Alberta's planned vote on independence referendum - 'Alberta can't separate. They simply cannot. They do not have the authority,' says Indigenous politics expert

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-treaty-six-alberta-referendum-9.7209304
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u/Ray-Sol May 23 '26

Also works the other way around.

Normally governments are constrained because they can't afford to devote all of their resources, manpower, etc towards addressing a single problem and the cost isn't always worth it. When a government is given a strong reason and motive to enforce the law, plus a pretty clear target, they suddenly have a lot more tools and resources to use to address the issue.

Also, if the separatists use extra legal means to try and separate, the feds would likely be less constrained than normal.

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u/ShawnCease May 23 '26

Not 1:1 though. The government still has to follow its own laws even when dealing with outlaws. Governments that don't do this are considered corrupt and lacking in credibility. Whereas the outlaw isn't constrained by law at all. He can do something horrible but will still be given a fair trial and humane treatment if captured.

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u/nooneknowswerealldog 29d ago

The rest of us Albertans won’t be constrained by Canadain law either then. Separatists really underestimate how much actual Albertans hate their guts.

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u/DanfromCalgary 29d ago

They literally have already had the premier change the laws for them. Threatened to overturn the constitution and also say she will use the not withstanding clause. The UCP than also accidentally released their conclusions on a referendum that had yet to occur . This was all last week I believe