Smith vs Stephan: Alberta's Sovereignty Debate

0:00Alberta premier Daniel Smith made it crystal clear this weekend. She's all about a sovereign Alberta staying put inside a United Canada. She's pushing back against her own party member, UCP MLA Jason Steffen, who dropped an op-ed urging folks to sign a petition for Alberta separation. Steffen's piece hit the Western standard Friday morning, framing the petition as a straight-up chance for Albertans to vote yes or no on breaking. Away. He called her to move to hold Ottawa accountable and spark real talk on freedom and prosperity. Smith laid it out on her radio show, your province, your premier, saying her whole caucus backs her stance. She's been grinding on sovereignty deals within Canada, like that memorandum of understanding with the feds for a pipeline to the coast and taking. Control of the electricity grid. Steffen, first elected in 2019 and back in 2023, holds the gig as Parliamentary Secretary for Constitutional Affairs. The stay-free Alberta petition

1:00needs 177,732 signatures by May 2nd to trigger a referendum. This back and forth highlights detention between full independent streams and Smith's plan to reclaim provincial powers without splitting the country. Vancouver news today. Powered by AI bringing you what matters. I'm Cory with the story.