On Monday, Albertans voted in a provincewide referendum that could have important consequences for Canada’s future.
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that → vote → future
But the question attracting the most attention may not be the one that matters most.
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that → attract → attention
The tenth question asked Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or take the next step toward separation.
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they → ask → separation
As of the time of writing, only a quarter of Alberta voters opted for another referendum.
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quarter → opt → referendum
Three-quarters opted against another referendum and said they wanted to remain in Canada.
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they → opt → Canada
But results from the other nine questions may tell a more interesting story.
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results → tell → story
All but Question 10 garnered majority support.
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All → garner → support
Ipsos polling for Global News also found that Canadians outside Alberta supported eight of the nine proposals by majority.
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Canadians → find → majority
Albertans may have rejected separation for now, but they also endorsed an agenda for changing Canada that has considerable support elsewhere in the country.
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that → reject → country
Prime Minister Mark Carney seems to understand the message he received.
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he → seem → message
At a rally in Calgary on October 15, he urged Albertans to reject the other nine questions with the slogan “No to the Nine.”
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he → urge → Nine
Carney wasn’t simply campaigning against separation.
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Carney → campaign → separation
He was taking a position against proposals that could reshape our country.
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that → take → country
The remaining nine questions cover two broad areas.
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questions → remain → areas
The first five concern immigration and access to public services.
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five → concern → services
They propose greater provincial control over immigration, lower immigration levels, employment preferences and restrictions on access to publicly funded services for temporary residents.
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They → propose → residents
They also address proof of citizenship for provincial voting.
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They → address → voting
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The other four concern the federal system itself.
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four → get → system
They propose provincial control over appointments to superior courts, abolition of the Senate, the right to opt out of federal programs without losing funding and provincial laws taking precedence over federal laws in areas of provincial or shared jurisdiction.
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They → propose → jurisdiction
Some proposals would require constitutional changes.
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proposals → require → changes
Others could be addressed through existing legislation.
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Others → address → legislation
None automatically becomes law even though Albertans voted for them.
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Albertans → become → them
But majority support has given Premier Danielle Smith justification to pursue them.
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support → give → them
Quebec’s recent election adds another layer.
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election → add → layer
Voters there have just elected a sovereigntist Parti Québécois government.
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Voters → elect → government
Alberta and Quebec have different objectives, but both could find common cause in demanding greater provincial autonomy.
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both → have → autonomy
Ottawa could soon face demands from two provinces with very different motivations seeking fundamental changes to Confederation.
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Ottawa → face → Confederation
For the past year, Donald Trump’s trade war against Canada has dominated Canadian politics.
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war → dominate → politics
The threat from Washington has encouraged Canadians to rally around the flag.
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threat → encourage → flag
But national unity in the face of an external threat hasn’t eliminated the disagreements within Canada.
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unity → eliminate → Canada
It intensified during the Trudeau years, particularly over energy and environmental policy.
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It → intensify → policy
For many Albertans, the dispute became a question of whether Ottawa was treating their province fairly.
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Ottawa → become → province
Carney has tried to change that relationship.
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Carney → try → relationship
His support for a new pipeline to tidewater represents a significant departure from the direction many Albertans associated with the previous Liberal government.
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Albertans → represent → government
But a pipeline remains a promise until it is built.
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it → remain → ?
Alberta’s demands for greater provincial autonomy extend well beyond energy.
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demands → extend → energy
A poll can show support for a proposal, but it doesn’t reflect support for the negotiations required to make it happen.
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it → show → negotiations
Canadians may like abolishing the Senate without agreeing on what should replace it.
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what → like → it
They may favour greater provincial autonomy without wanting to reopen the Constitution.
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They → favour → Constitution
But dismissing these results would miss the point.
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dismissing → dismiss → point
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
