Former\u00a0Alberta\u00a0premier Jason Kenney is taking up the Canadian cause as he\u2019s set to participate in two debates about separatism against a lawyer pushing for the province to go its own way.<\/p>\n
The first debate is set to take place in Edmonton on May 1 at a members-only conference hosted by Civitas Canada, a conservative non-profit organization.<\/p>\n
An agenda for the conference says that both sides of the separatism debate want economic fairness for Alberta, and it\u2019ll be up to Kenney and lawyer Keith Wilson to argue which path best advances that goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the best way for Albertans to fulfil their destiny? Remain a Canadian province or become an independent state?\u201d the agenda reads.<\/p>\n
Postmedia columnist Lorne Gunter is listed as the moderator.<\/p>\n
Second debate in Calgary <\/p>\n
Kenney said in a text message on Wednesday that the second debate will take place in Calgary and is being put on by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.<\/p>\n
The think tank\u2019s president, Mark Milke, said in an email that the organization hasn\u2019t had the chance to finalize details but acknowledged that both Kenney and Wilson had committed to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kenney didn\u2019t say why he decided to participate, but the former United Conservative premier has been an outspoken critic of Alberta\u2019s separatist movement, which has surged over the past year.<\/p>\n
Petition drive has until May 2 to collect enough signatures <\/p>\n
A petition looking to force a vote on\u00a0Alberta\u00a0separation was launched in January. It has until May 2 to gather nearly 178,000 signatures to advance the issue.<\/p>\n
Premier Danielle Smith, Kenney\u2019s successor, has said that should the campaign be successful, the question will be put to Albertans this fall.<\/p>\n
Smith has faced criticism for saying she supports\u00a0Alberta\u00a0staying within Confederation despite her government tabling two pieces of legislation to make it easier for separatists to get their question on the ballot.<\/p>\n
Kenney says it\u2019s \u2018bananas\u2019 to let \u2018angry minority\u2019 force a debate about independence <\/p>\n
Kenney hasn\u2019t criticized Smith directly, but last fall he called it \u201cbananas\u201d to let an \u201cangry minority\u201d force Albertans into a debate about separatism.<\/p>\n
\u201c(It would be) a referendum that would divide families, divide communities, divide friends for no useful purpose,\u201d Kenney told The Canadian Press in September.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Smith has also refused to denounce the separatist movement, saying she wouldn\u2019t demonize those who feel\u00a0Alberta\u00a0has been slighted by Ottawa. She has said it\u2019s her job to prove that\u00a0Alberta\u00a0can succeed with Canada.<\/p>\n
Wilson, Kenney\u2019s debate opponent, doesn\u2019t have a formal role in the petition campaign but is a supporter of the movement. Wilson is a longtime lawyer who has been involved in high-profile cases, including representing several organizers in the 2022 Freedom Convoy.<\/p>\n
He implied in an email on Wednesday that he fully expects\u00a0Alberta\u00a0separation to be up for a vote in the fall, calling it a potentially \u201chistoric moment\u201d for the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlbertans will have the opportunity to consider a clear and lawful path for independence,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the magnitude of that decision, it is critically important that voters hear a full and balanced discussion of the issues from both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 with files from Bill Graveland in Calgary<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.<\/p>\n
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