A referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada “can have an effect” on investor confidence in the province, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday.
Carney was in Nova Scotia, speaking to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. When asked whether he thought an Alberta referendum could impact investor confidence, Carney said, “It can, yeah. It can have an effect.”
Ottawa will continue working with Alberta on energy co-operation, he added.
“Our strategy with Alberta has been to go right to the heart of the issue, which is the pipeline. But what else comes with the pipeline pathways? An actual carbon market that works in Alberta,” he said, adding that Canada would also seek to build more nuclear power infrastructure in the province.
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“Having everything on the table, rolling up your sleeves, working on it — that’s the way to address it. Showing that the federation works, and it has benefit. It has a huge immediate payoff if we get it right,” he said.
“We’re making good progress with Alberta. There’s more to be done, but we’re making very good progress.”
In November 2025, the federal government and Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding that commits them to working toward building an oil pipeline to the West Coast.
The two governments agreed to terms that commit Ottawa to adjusting the West Coast tanker ban if a pipeline project is approved as a project of national interest under the Building Canada Act and provides “opportunities for Indigenous co-ownership and shared economic benefits.”
Last month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said immigration levels are overwhelming the province’s core social services and announced that a referendum will take place this year, asking residents to weigh in on nine questions addressing both that and possible changes to Canada’s Constitution.
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