Former leaders of Canada and Alberta have publicly stated that they do not support the initiative related to the petition, which could trigger a referendum on Alberta's secession from the country. This was reported by The Canadian Press in materials reprinted by Canadian media.
During an event in Ottawa, Jean Chrétien recalled the experience of the Canadian federation during the 1995 Quebec referendum and joked that he did not fully understand what was happening in Alberta. In response, Stephen Harper briefly noted that he had not signed the petition. He then added that, according to his information, there were no signatories among the Conservatives, after which Chrétien concluded that the country would “remain united.”
According to reports, the two former prime ministers appeared together at a discussion at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. The conversation touched not only on domestic politics, but also on broader topics — in particular, the rise of nationalism in the world and international shifts, which are being discussed against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's statements and actions in the United States.
At the same time, former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney spoke out against incumbent members of the ruling party supporting such initiatives. According to him, the party he helped create was built on the idea of “a strong Alberta in a united Canada,” and therefore politicians elected on that message have “no reason” to sign a document promoting the secession agenda.
Where did the petition come from?
The new round of discussion is linked to statements by representatives of the movement promoting the idea of a referendum. In particular, lawyer Jeff Rath, who is associated with the Stay Free Alberta initiative, claimed that he knew of signatories among the deputies of the ruling faction, but did not name names, citing confidentiality rules.
The materials also cite the position of Premier Danielle Smith's office and/or the faction: the government declares a course toward “a strong and sovereign Alberta in a united Canada,” while not confirming the presence of signatories among its deputies.
What's next
Procedurally, the petition must collect a significant number of signatures within a specified period. According to publications describing the campaign, this means nearly 178,000 signatures by the May deadline; if successful, this could trigger further legal steps related to a possible referendum.
Against this backdrop, public statements by former federal and provincial leaders sound like an attempt to “cool down” the topic of secession, at least in the political mainstream: Harper distanced himself from the petition personally, and Kenney distanced himself from the idea that current MPs, elected on a platform of unity, could support an initiative that would lead to a vote on the province's withdrawal from the federation.