Canada's Carney travels to Alberta as separatists face legal setback

"A provincial court ruled in favour of a First Nations bid to halt a referendum on secession, saying the province's chief electoral officer was wrong to allow separatists to collect signatures requesting a referendum. Justice Shaina Leonard maintained that the process should have triggered a consultation with Indigenous peoples whose rights might be violated by Alberta's secession from Canada. Leonard said Alberta independence would fundamentally contravene the land treaties Indigenous peoples signed with Canada."

"Premier Smith has sought to capitalise on regional discontent with consecutive Liberal party leadership, arguing that Ottawa has over-regulated the province's lucrative oil and gas industry. Leaders of the Alberta Prosperity Project, one of the groups spearheading the separatist movement, have pushed for a united Canadian front as Carney grapples with US tariffs and tensions with US President Donald Trump. Earlier this year, members of the group met with members of the US Department of State."

"That came after another separatist group, Stay Free Alberta, said it delivered a petition to Elections Alberta with more than 300,000 signatures. If approved, the signatures would be enough to trigger a referendum. On Wednesday, supporters faced a major setback, with a provincial court ruling in favour of a First Nations bid to halt a referendum on secession. The ruling addressed the signature-collection process and the need for Indigenous consultation."

"Carney's visit on Friday was officially to unveil a new agreement laying the groundwork for a crude oil pipeline alongside the province's premier, Danielle Smith. However, the simmering secessionist movement was set to loom large over the trip. Carney and his Liberal party have pushed for a united Canadian front as he grapples with US tariffs and tensions with US President Donald Trump. The legal setback intensified attention on the separatist push for a referendum."

A provincial court ruled that separatists failed to follow proper procedure when collecting signatures for an Alberta secession referendum. The court found the chief electoral officer erred by allowing signature collection without triggering consultation with Indigenous peoples whose rights could be affected by secession. The ruling came after a First Nations bid sought to stop the referendum. Another separatist group claimed it delivered more than 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta, which would have been sufficient to trigger a referendum if approved. The court stated that Alberta independence would fundamentally contravene land treaties Indigenous peoples signed with Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Alberta to unveil an agreement for a crude oil pipeline, while separatist activity remained a major issue during the trip.

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