Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is holding up Brexit as a cautionary tale for Alberta, as the province mulls a break with Canada. On Monday, he branded Premier Danielle Smith's plan to ask Albertans in October whether to pursue a formal separation vote a "very dangerous bluff," arguing that such a step risks unleashing long-term instability rather than simply launching a bargaining process with Ottawa, reports Politico. Drawing on his time as Bank of England governor during the UK's 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union, Carney said, "I saw firsthand what happened in the United Kingdom, when the view was, 'Vote for this, it will be soft, and then we'll negotiate.' They're still 10 years later trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for, but what they ended up having."
Carney warned that oil-rich Alberta's move could spook investors and noted the question wasn't part of Smith's last election mandate. The clash comes as Carney tries to repair ties with the province via a memorandum that could lead to a new oil pipeline to the British Columbia coast, a deal criticized by environmentalists and some Indigenous groups. Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both vowed to campaign for a united Canada, with Poilievre saying, "I want a strong Alberta within a united Canada, and all Conservatives will be campaigning for Canadian unity in Alberta." But the New York Times notes that the secession movement may be gaining ground: A poll out Monday showed 35% of Albertans would vote in favor of leaving. That number has hovered between 25% and 30% in recent months.
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