Following days of speculation, the province has confirmed that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will make a televised address Thursday evening amid speculation of a referendum on separation.
Smith will speak beginning at 6:45 p.m.
It can be watched on Citytv and CityNews Alberta 24/7.
The speech will also be livestreamed on the premier’s Facebook and X pages.
Smith will be made available for questions from media Friday afternoon in Calgary.
The T.V. address is just one item on a busy schedule for the premier this week. Early Thursday morning, she was at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce to provide an update on the pipeline memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ottawa. Later in the day, she shuffled her cabinet.
Rumours of the speech began earlier this week following claims from NDP leader Naheed Nenshi that airtime had been purchased for the address.
The address comes a day after members of Smith’s United Conservative Party caucus failed to pass a motion in committee asking Smith to call an Oct. 19 vote on Alberta’s place in Confederation.
UCP member Nate Glubish introduced the motion but, while members were debating it, the party’s caucus issued a news release saying the motion had passed.
Opposition NDP members objected, saying the premature release called into question the integrity of the process, and time ran out on the meeting.
The committee is to meet again later today.
Earlier this year, Smith announced a referendum that, so far, will only ask Albertans to weigh in on changes to immigration policy and potential constitutional reforms.
There are currently nine “yes or no” questions that will be put to Albertans this fall.
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