On October 19, Albertans are being asked to vote on a separatists referendum. But here’s the thing most people don’t realize: it’s not one question. It’s ten.
This is the most important election we’ve ever had in Alberta.
Before we get into it, click HERE to request your special ballot. This is the most complicated vote in Canadian history, and the lines are going to be very, very long. This is by design. Getting a special ballot is the best way to make sure your vote is counted on all 10 questions.
The first question is about whether Alberta should stay in Canada. This is where all the focus is. The other nine are designed to obscure what the outcome really is. The goal of the UCP isn’t to win the separatist vote, it’s to enable an ultraconservative mandate from the other nine questions. The goal of the UCP is to swap Ottawa for Washington, and invite US interests to plunder Alberta.
It’s critical that everyone votes NO to the nine to avoid Trump-like politics gaining a stronger foothold in Alberta.
This election is massive. The UCP is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to solidify their ideology.
- $130 Million Dollars
- 45 Million Ballots
- 60 Thousand election workers
The Big One #
The first question is the big one:
Ballot 1 Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
Vote Option 1 (the first option) to remain in Canada.
The Nine Questions #
Elections Alberta has a complete list of the questions. If you want to dive into each question, kNOw the nine is a fantastic resource. It does a question by question breakdown to explain what’s actually at stake.
These nine questions are all no. They are designed to sound reasonable in isolation, but together they build a two tiered system. Once the system is split, those in power can expand the definition to include anyone they want. Today it’s immigrants, tomorrow it could be you.
My grandparents were war refugees. They came to Canada with nothing, running away from a war to the relative safety of Canadian shores. This referendum is meant to turn Alberta into a place that will turn folks like my grandparents away. The Alberta that the UCP wants doesn’t include my family.
I’ve picked three questions to show how they have worded the questions to point you to a positive conclusion, when in reality they are dismantling the province.
Question 3 #
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
Meaning we will deny essential services to those who need it the most. Everyone deserves access to health care, and every child deserves an education. Period.
Question 6 #
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
Citizenship is already required to vote. This will give the UCP a mandate to develop voter suppression strategies that will weaken our democracy.
Question 9 #
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
Federal funding requires federal standards so every province meets the same basic standard. They want the money, and to then decide who gets the money and who doesn’t inside Alberta.
The Pattern #
Here’s what becomes clear when you look at all ten questions together:
They’re not about provincial rights. They’re about creating a resource colony.
- Questions 2–5 create a two-tier system where some people have full rights and others are disposable workers
- Question 6 makes it harder for certain people to vote
- Questions 7–8 concentrate power in the executive branch
- Question 9 lets Alberta keep federal money without federal standards
- Question 10 lets Alberta override federal law
Together, they form a systematic dismantling of the Canadian federation. And they’re being sold to Albertans one question at a time, each one seeming reasonable in isolation. This is setting the stage for the real agenda: the destruction of Canada as we know it.
The Bigger Picture #
The Edmonton Journal editorial signed by Rachel Notley, several mayors, and a human rights lawyer put it best:
“After demanding more immigrants in prior years, she then blamed immigrants for Alberta’s fiscal problems.”
The government created the fiscal crisis through deliberate underfunding and privatization. Alberta ranked 10th in per-student funding, Edmonton cancelled a needed hospital, programs were cut and then blames immigrants for the consequences. It’s a textbook diversion. They created their own problem to be exploited.
And behind all of this, there are larger forces at play. The kind of low-regulation, low-wage, resource-extraction model these questions point toward is exactly the kind of arrangement that appeals to US capital. Trading Ottawa for Washington isn’t a step that benefits any Albertan.
We are under attack by US interests.
This is the most complex, most expensive election Alberta has ever seen. That’s not an accident. It’s on purpose. The UCP is counting on the complexity to lower voter turnout and win a landslide. The lines at the polls are going to be much longer than any other election. Make sure you get your special ballot