Carney says Alberta referendum 'dangerous bluff' similar to Brexit

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the upcoming Alberta referendum on separation from Canada a "dangerous bluff", comparing it to the Brexit vote that saw the UK leave the European Union.

Carney, who led the Bank of England during Brexit, said that 10 years on from the referendum the UK was "trying to undo what people didn't think they were voting for, but what they ended up having".

He also cautioned against voting in favour of a separation vote as a way to strengthen Alberta's negotiating position with Ottawa, saying it may bring unintended consequences.

Albertans will decide 19 October whether they want to remain part of Canada or hold a binding vote on separation at a later date.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Carney said he will be campaigning for Canadian unity in the coming months.

"We have to be very careful about this," he said, adding: "There is a very strong, positive case for Canada, a strong Alberta in a united Canada."

Supporters of Alberta independence believe that the oil-rich province has long been overlooked by decision-makers in Ottawa, the national capital, and that federal environmental policies have hindered its ability to build oil and gas pipelines and develop its natural resources.

The referendum comes after a grassroots independence movement gathered more than 300,000 signatures this year for a petition calling for a vote on separation, enough to trigger a referendum.

But a court decision quashed the petition after indigenous First Nations in Alberta successfully argued they were not properly consulted.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she will proceed with a referendum question on separation regardless, pointing to a separate, counter-petition advocating for Alberta to remain, signed by more than 400,000 people.

Smith said she disagreed with the legal decision and believed that Albertans have a right to voice their opinion in a plebiscite.

Smith has said she will campaign for Alberta to remain in Canada, saying the province's relationship with Ottawa has improved in recent months.

The Brexit vote in 2016 saw 52% of people in the UK voting to leave, while 48% voted to remain. The UK formally left the EU in 2020.

Supporters argued that membership in the EU stifled the UK's economic growth and sovereignty.