‘Canada is the best.’ Kinew applauds referendum result
PREMIER Wab Kinew threw both hands in the air Tuesday, celebrating Albertans’ rejection of separation from Canada in a referendum one day earlier.
“Yes. Canada is the best,” Kinew said from behind a podium at an unrelated press conference. “Hallelujah. It’s great.”
While votes were still being tallied on Tuesday, about 75 per cent of those who voted in Monday’s referendum in Alberta supported remaining in Canada, while about 25 per cent backed beginning a process that could lead to separation, preliminary results showed on Tuesday.
Kinew had been a vocal opponent of Alberta separating from Canada, repeatedly calling for national unity.
He publicly challenged Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at the Western Premiers’ Meeting in May over her position on the duty to consult Indigenous groups regarding the separation petition.
Kinew had urged Alberta to postpone the vote by a year or two, arguing the country should instead focus on nation-building projects and improving interprovincial trade corridors.
“I want to congratulate Albertans on getting out and voting to remain a part of the No. 1 country on Earth, the true north, strong and free — Canada,” he said.
“Really happy to see the outcome of the vote yesterday, and hopefully this means we can now focus on building up our country with strong health care and a really powerful economy, and that we will do that the same way Canadians do everything, we will do that together.”
Asked about the results of the other nine questions on the referendum ballot, mainly on issues of immigration and the constitution, Kinew declined to comment.