Smith to respond to Alberta’s referendum for a referendum

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Danielle Smith answers questions about Alta. referendum

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Danielle Smith faces pressure as separation debate grows

Premier Danielle Smith is set to respond to questions from the media after sharing details about a new referendum question for Albertans asking them if they want a referendum on separation at all.

She is scheduled to speak at Calgary’s McDougall Centre at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

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“The additional question will be 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?” Smith said in a province-wide address on Thursday evening.

Her comments also touched on a recent court battle that saw Stay Free Alberta’s referendum question quashed by a judge.

The premier says her government is committed to that fight, but the legal action will take too long and will miss the window of the Oct. 19 referendum vote.

Smith said the wording of the new question was supposed to appease both sides of the debate, but those for and against Alberta separation say it’s missed the mark.

“You can only dance with two partners for so long,” said Thomas Lukaszuk with the Forever Canadian campaign.

“Leadership is about making difficult decisions for the good of the country, even when they are from time to time not popular with your own political base.”

He adds the decision is fuelling the effort of his campaign to get more Albertans to sign on to the idea of remaining in Canada.

• Alberta government adds separation-related question to fall referendum
• Smith playing a ‘very strange game’ in referendum saga: Nenshi
• Alberta is to vote on whether to hold a separation referendum. Here’s how we got here

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project says Smith’s decision on the referendum has “angered people on both sides.”

“(She’s) forgetting that the half of the people that she’s angered are required to vote for her in order to be re-elected,” he said.

“I think it’s just going to re-double everybody’s efforts to buy UCP memberships, sell UCP memberships, have a special general meeting, and then have all the all of these issues, including her premiership revisited.”

Smith’s availability will be livestreamed on CTV News Calgary beginning at 12:30 MT/10:30 ET.