Pierre Poilievre says all Conservative MPs will actively campaign for Alberta to remain part of Canada if a separation referendum moves forward in the province.
Speaking during a news conference in North Vancouver on Thursday, Poilievre reaffirmed his support for Canadian unity amid growing debate over Alberta separatism.
“I’m a strong Canadian federalist, a proud Albertan and a proud Canadian. I want a strong Alberta within a united Canada, and all Conservatives will be campaigning for Canadian unity in Alberta,” Poilievre said.
The comments come after Danielle Smith announced that Albertans will vote this fall on whether the province should begin the legal process required for a future binding referendum on separation from Canada.
The proposed Oct. 19 referendum question asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or if the provincial government should move toward holding a future separation vote under the Canadian Constitution.
Poilievre also said Conservatives would campaign against separation if Quebec’s Parti Quebecois were to return to power and pursue another independence referendum.
“It is the job of the prime minister of Canada to unite the country, and as prime minister in waiting, I will begin that work myself,” he stated.
The Conservative leader blamed growing separatist sentiment in Alberta on nearly a decade of Liberal governance in Ottawa, arguing that regional tensions were far lower under former prime minister Stephen Harper.
“There was absolutely no separation movement whatsoever in Alberta,” Poilievre said, adding that separatist parties in Quebec had nearly disappeared politically during Harper’s tenure.
Poilievre also criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying the federal government should do more to ease frustrations in Alberta by supporting energy development, reducing regulations for businesses and scrapping the federal gun buyback program.
Carney has recently made several efforts to strengthen relations with Alberta, including an agreement reached last week to revise federal climate policies and support plans for a new oil pipeline to Canada’s Pacific Coast.
The proposed pipeline project is expected to be completed by 2033 or 2034 and has already sparked political debate across the country.
Meanwhile, David Eby criticized Ottawa’s agreement with Alberta, arguing there is currently no private-sector company committed to building the pipeline and accusing Alberta of being rewarded for threatening separation.
The Alberta referendum debate is expected to dominate political discussions across Canada ahead of the province’s fall vote.