UCP MLA says he’s voted in favour of Alberta holding binding referendum on independence

A sitting MLA with Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party says he has voted in favour of proceeding with a legally binding referendum on whether the province should leave Canada.

Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan confirmed how he voted in this fall’s referendum to CBC News at a town hall he hosted Tuesday night at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in Red Deer.

“My reason for preferring Option 2 [on the question about separation], which I have had that position for a long time, is I would love nothing more than for Canada to fix itself,” he told CBC News. “Currently we do not see that happening.

“I’ve always supported having a referendum on independence because I want Ottawa to be compelled to fix the things that are broken, and they will not change things unless they are compelled to do so.

“We had a prime minister that more than doubled the national debt. I want to see respect, discipline. I want to see a better government.”

During the event, Stephan said his position on the independence referendum issue has long been publicly known. 

Stephan, who left his role as Premier Danielle Smith’s constitutional affairs adviser in the spring, has been outspoken in the last few months in his message to “get Ottawa’s attention.” He has written op-eds and newsletters and urged Albertans to sign a petition calling for a referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

Question 10 of the upcoming referendum asks “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?”

Voters can choose between Option 1, which is “Alberta should remain a province of Canada,” and Option 2, “The government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.”

CBC News asked Stephan, who said he has already mailed in his ballot ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum, how he would vote with regard to separation if Option 2 is successful this fall.

“I’ve never said that I want Alberta to separate,” he said.
”I’ve actually always said that I’d love to see Canada fix itself. That’s what I’d love. We have this awesome potential, and we have so poorly managed it and underachieved, and that makes me very sad.”

Stephan said his best-case scenario is that Canada “becomes the most free and prosperous nation on Earth, that Alberta is treated fairly [and] that our constitution is fixed.”

When asked if he feels in line with his party caucus’ position of wanting to remain as a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, he said he’d “like to see united.”

“That’s my hope, but there’s some work to do there. And again, I think the federal government needs to do a lot more, unfortunately.”

Town hall 

Stephan said he sent an invitation to people who live in his constituency for Tuesday’s town hall to discuss the 10 questions in the upcoming referendum.

“In Question 10, some good people … had different opinions,” he said. “It’s good to have a civil discussion on those questions.

“If Albertans choose Option 1, I respect and honour that.

“I’m glad that we’re having this referendum because I honestly think that it’s got Ottawa’s attention,” he said, noting that Prime Minister Mark Carney recently visited Red Deer.

In a recent newsletter to constituents, Stephan writes about Question 10 and notes it is not a referendum question on independence but rather a referendum on whether to have a future referendum.

“In fact, Option 1 and Option 2 can be true at the same time,” the newsletter reads. “A voter can want Alberta to remain a province of Canada AND want Alberta to hold a future referendum on independence to compel Ottawa to fix what it has broken.”

Tuesday’s town hall attracted about 100 people and the crowd had a mix of opinions, both for and against separation. Some sported Alberta flags and separatist merchandise. Some voiced opinions about confusing wording, others expressed worry about businesses leaving and what happens next if Albertans say no to staying in Canada.

One attendee asked if there is any possibility of the UCP caucus trying to get Premier Smith to support Option 2, which was met with applause.

Smith has said she is voting for Option 1.

At an unrelated news conference in Calgary on Wednesday, Smith was asked if she is still in control of her party since Stephan said he voted for Option 2.

“We have a big-tent party,” she replied. “And big tent means that different MLAs are able to express different views. But the position of our party, our caucus and our government remains clear.

“Albertans are going to have a chance to tell us if they differ in their views on Oct. 19.”