‘It’s not a real referendum’: Former PM Chretien on Alberta separation question ahead of October vote

Former prime minister Jean Chretien calls Louise Arbour a ‘great international specialist for human rights’ ahead of her governor general swearing-in ceremony.

OTTAWA — Former prime minister Jean Chretien says while he’s “not too worried” about the independence movement in Alberta and fall referendum with a question on separation, he would caution officials against being too complacent with the issue.

Chretien spoke with CTV News senior political correspondent Mike Le Couteur ahead of the installation of Canada’s 31st Governor General Louise Arbour — who he called the “perfect choice” for the job — on Monday.

“She will give the example of what it is to be a good Canadian,” Chretien said, when asked about the governor general’s role in maintaining unity, and the importance of that in this moment in Canada.

“She is known internationally, and it’s the same occasion when there is a lot of turmoil in the world,” he added. “We have a prime minister that made a career internationally too, so the people around the globe will be impressed by the quality of people that we produce in Canada.”

Amid a simmering separation sentiment in Alberta, voters are set for a referendum in October, during which they’ll be asked whether they want to stay in Canada, or launch a formal process for a later referendum on independence.

Chretien is a Quebecer himself and was prime minister during the 1995 Quebec referendum on separation.

“It’s not a real referendum,” Chretien said. “To have a referendum in Canada, you need a question that is approved by Parliament of Canada.”

“This the law of the land, it’s the bill I passed when I was prime minister,” he added, pointing to the Clarity Act, which outlines the conditions under which the federal government will negotiate the secession of a province.

Lawyers for several First Nations argued last month that Alberta’s referendum process and its use by separatists is unconstitutional, as there’s no requirement for Indigenous consultation. They also said separation would violate treaty rights.

Speaking to reporters at the time, Prime Minister Mark Carney said while he supports the right to hold a referendum on separation as part of a democracy, it must also “be consistent with the Clarity Act.”

“You can have a referendum tomorrow to know if the moon is square, and people would say, ‘no,’” Chretien told Le Couteur on Monday. “You can consult people, the problem is, what is the legal effect of what they’re doing?”

“And it’s just a consultation,” he added. “And even (Alberta Premier Danielle Smith) yesterday, I guess she asked the people of Alberta to vote for Canada, and the leader of the Opposition is the same view, so I’m not too worried, but we should never be complacent.”

The 1995 Quebec referendum ended with the narrowest of margins, with 49.42 per cent in favour of separating, and 50.58 per cent in favour of staying in Canada.

While Smith has explicitly said she wants Alberta to stay within Canada, she has faced criticism for enabling the referendum to go forward in the first place, namely by changing the law to make it easier for petitioners to trigger one.

Speaking to reporters late last month, Carney, meanwhile, said the October referendum question — to stay in Canada or hold a legally binding referendum to leave — has the potential to be a “very dangerous bluff.”

He later also said in the House of Commons that the referendum will need a clear majority, and can’t just be 50 per cent plus one, a comment which drew backlash in Quebec.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — who represents a rural Alberta riding in the House of Commons — is also campaigning for the province to stay within Canada, kicking off his campaign to promote a “stronger Alberta within a united Canada” in a keynote speech in Calgary on Monday.

With files from CTV News’ Mike Le Couteur and Stephanie Ha