Cory Morgan: Premier Smith’s Bourassa Moment

Commentary After announcing that a question regarding provincial independence would appear on a referendum ballot in Alberta on Oct. 19, Premier Danielle Smith emphasized that she is “fiercely” loyal to Alberta, as well as to Canada. So why would a person dedicated to maintaining national unity put a question on a referendum ballot that could lead to the separation of a province? Premier Smith is painted into a political corner, and her position isn’t unprecedented. In fact, it’s much like what former Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa faced at the beginning of the 1990s. Secessionism in Quebec reached new highs after the failure of the Meech Lake Accord to amend the constitution. The accord would have conferred distinct society upon Quebec and offered enhanced authority to provinces, including over immigration, and giving a provincial veto authority over constitutional changes. Manitoba and Newfoundland refused to ratify the accord, and many Quebecers saw it as a rejection by English Canada of what they felt were modest proposals. The opposition Parti Québécois began surging in the polls as they offered an independence referendum in their platform....