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CALGARY — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the easiest way to squash separatist sentiment in Alberta is for the federal government to butt out of the province’s business.
Poilievre, in a speech Monday, said Albertans don’t need a new country; they just need to see new priorities from Ottawa.
Albertans could benefit from freeing up resources, building pipelines, respecting provincial autonomy and reducing taxpayer burden, said Poilievre, speaking at the Royal Canadian Legion in downtown Calgary.
“The best news of all: it’s not a zero-sum game. These steps would make every province better off,” he said from the stage, surrounded by an equal number of Canadian and Albertan flags.
“The answer therefore, for Albertans, is not to pull away from our friends in other provinces, but to lock arms with them to make Canada affordable, safe, self-reliant, and united here at home.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced last month that her government will ask in October whether Albertans think the province should remain in Canada, or hold a second, binding vote on separating.
Smith has said that she and her United Conservative Party government will campaign for Alberta to stay but that she was left no choice but to call the vote after two competing petitions expressing opposite sides of the debate, each garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures.
Poilievre has said he and his caucus will also campaign across Alberta over the summer to encourage people not to give up on Canada.
In his speech, he said Alberta separatists shouldn’t be considered an enemy and warned against demonizing those who want to leave Confederation.
“A better way is to listen, understand, persuade, and address the easily solvable problems they are asking us to fix,” he said.
“I will be speaking to Albertans on both sides of this referendum to hear their thoughts and to make the respectful case for Canada.”
Poilievre said people from across the country should also be supporting Alberta’s ambitions, and urged Canada to “wrap its arms around Alberta and its people.”
“Tell them how much you appreciate and love them. Really listen to them and support their ambitions because our destinies are intertwined,” he said.
Poilievre’s message resonated with Jane Lindsay, who was among the hundreds of supporters inside the Royal Canadian Legion.
Lindsay signed the Stay Free Alberta citizen-initiated petition that sought to force a binding separation vote but was quashed by an Alberta court judge.
But, she said her signature was largely meant to send a message to Ottawa.
“I think the path would be much greener for Canada, as well as Alberta, if Ottawa would just, as I said, get out of the way,” said Lindsay.
Poilievre saying federal policy changes were necessary for a more co-operative Canada appealed to Tom Loszchuk, but the theme of a united Canada did not sway him.
“I was hoping he’d be able to say something that would maybe change my mind or give me a sense of hope or something to work with him towards,” said Loszchuk, a staunch supporter of Poilievre.
“He said what needs to get done, but it was nothing I haven’t heard before.”
André Lecours, a political studies professor at the University of Ottawa, does not expect Poilievre’s speech will sway others who, like Loszchuk, are pushing for Alberta independence.
He believes Poilievre made as much of an argument that he could, both understanding the frustrations of those in the separatist movement while advocating for unity, in hopes those voters will return to the Conservative Party in an election.
“I do think that’s the speech he was giving: you’ve identified the problems, you’ve got the wrong solution,” he said.
“The better solution is to have a Conservative government in Ottawa. That’s his message.”
A host of former Conservative Party politicians have also said they’ll be campaigning against Alberta’s separation vote, including former prime minister Stephen Harper and a few members of his cabinet.
Former Alberta premier and Harper cabinet minister Jason Kenney is part of a group called Vote to Stay. It also includes another Harper cabinet minister in Monte Solberg, as well as Travis Toews, who served as Alberta’s finance minister under Kenney.
Jim Dinning, another former Alberta finance minister, has pledged to campaign for Alberta to stay in Canada by working with high-profile professors in political science and economics.
Alberta’s Opposition NDP will also be campaigning to remain, as will former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who had spearheaded one of the two petitions Smith has cited as being the impetus for the vote.
But some former colleagues of Harper — and Poilievre — are on the other side of the fence.
Jay Hill, who was in the Conservative caucus with Harper and Poilievre from 2004 to 2010, wrote an editorial Monday in conservative news outlet the Western Standard saying he plans to vote for a separation referendum to send Ottawa a message.
Hill, who had served as chief government whip and house leader under Harper, said voting to stay undermines any negotiating chips Alberta may hold and that he would campaign for his side if asked.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2026.
Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press
