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Ted Morton: What happens next in Alberta depends on Ottawa

Albertans should hope for the best but continue to be prepared for something much less

The results for the Alberta referendum send a mixed message.

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The 25 per cent vote for Option B — for a followup referendum to secede — was lower than what I had hoped for, but about what I expected. As I’ve stated repeatedly, I do not support Alberta separation, but I also do not support the status quo. My concern was — and is — that too low a vote for Option B sends a message to the rest of Canada that they don’t have to worry about Alberta; that the separatists are a noisy but politically irrelevant minority, and so the Carney Liberals can go back to business as usual.

Ted Morton: What happens next in Alberta depends on Ottawa Back to video

This would be a big mistake. The 25 per cent vote for separation is double what it would have been a decade ago. And if the next decade is like the past decade, this number will double again. Which means 50 per cent, and a real problem, both for Canada and for Alberta.

Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.

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My main takeaway from the referendum is that the same voters who voted 75 per cent to remain in Canada also voted around 50 per cent for the policy and constitutional reforms in questions 1 through 9. That is, they........

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