Alberta Premier Warns Carney He Must Act to Quell Separatist Threat
Danielle Smith, Alberta's premier, during an interview at Bloomberg’s Calgary office.
Photographer: Gavin John/BloombergAlberta Premier Danielle Smith played down concerns that the secession movement in her province will scare away investors, saying it’s up to the government of Mark Carney to prove Canada can be a more attractive place for capital.
Polls show a significant minority of Albertans are interested in exploring independence from Canada, partly because they’re frustrated about environmental rules that limit the development of oil and gas. The cancellation of proposed crude oil pipelines including Energy East is the result of federal “anti-investment policies,” Smith said, and she argued Carney must reverse those measures if he wants to tamp down separatism.