Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says it’s high time federal MPs take a stand and fight back against those who want to see Canada torn apart.
Kenney, also a former federal cabinet minister, shared a stage at the University of Calgary on Monday with an unlikely ally — Calgary Liberal MP Corey Hogan.
“We may be just 150 days away from a major rupture in our lives together … in our economy, in our political community, in our society,” Kenney said at the Case for a United Canada event.
“Federalists need to start getting it moving here. I think we’ve allowed the separatists to almost completely dominate the debate over the process for the past year.”
Kenney said the problem is that there are those in Alberta who find the prospect of a secession vote “unpleasant” and know someone who supports it. The separation, he said, is attractive to Albertans who feel disrespected by Ottawa.
“A large number of Albertans have concluded that this is an opportunity to send a message to get leverage — to replicate the Quebec knife to the throat strategy, and I tell them to be careful what you ask for,” he said.
Get daily national news
Get Canada’s daily news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the top news of the day.
Hogan, a former deputy minister in Kenney’s provincial government and current parliamentary secretary to the federal energy minister, said time is running out for the federal government to respond.
He said it has not yet been confirmed whether a vote on Alberta independence will take place, as the case is currently in court.
“We don’t even technically have a referendum question right now. We’re in a very strange situation,” Hogan said. “You never want to argue against something that isn’t real, but unfortunately it’s starting to feel pretty real.
“We have five months for a referendum.”
Hogan said it’s important for Alberta MPs of all groups to speak out ahead of a potential vote.
“If this goes forward, I think all Alberta MPs are going to have to stand up and fight for this country. The premier is from Alberta and I would certainly advise him to use that voice as an Albertan.”
Carney has said the federal government is working in the spirit of “cooperative federalism” to address issues for the benefit of Albertans and Canadians as a whole.
Ottawa and Alberta have been negotiating an energy deal, and Premier Danielle Smith told reporters she felt much more confident about a deal that was signed after meeting with Carney last week.
Kenney said he will continue to speak out against separatist groups in Alberta and that there can’t be just one leader of any federal campaign.
He said he believes federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is a federalist and points out that his slogan in last year’s Alberta primary was Canada first, Canada last, Canada always.
“I have no doubt in his unqualified patriotism and I think he will find his voice on that. He grew up in Alberta, he represents a riding Alberta,” Kenney said.
“I would like to see a version of Mr.
&copies 2026 The Canadian Press
