After weeks of agonizing, Premier Danielle Smith has come up with her own referendum question.

This weird, unworkable puzzler was unveiled Thursday evening in her speech to the province.

There’s no way to vote a simple yes or no to this question, because it comes in two contradictory parts.

It asks Albertans whether they want to stay in Canada or not, and then asks if we should proceed to yet another referendum, this one a binding vote on whether or not to separate.

Smith’s question is: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

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Ponder your vote on that.

Vote yes and you’re agreeing to both parts, even though they’re contradictory.

With a negative vote, you’re saying no to Canada, but also nixing a binding referendum on separation.

It makes no sense at all, unless the question is somehow divided into two parts, with the second response depending on the first.

Apart from that, much of Smith’s speech was powerful and welcome.

For the first time in public, I believe, she said she will vote against separatism.

“I have........

© Calgary Herald