Based on coverage from The Globe and Mail, The Anniston Star, Mountain Democrat, and Brandon Sun.
Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum was already shaping up as a big political fight. Now, groups on multiple sides are warning it could also become a spending fight, with Premier Danielle Smith’s government able to advertise without the limits that apply to everyone else.
The concern is especially sharp because there’s a real chance a provincial independence question could be added to the ballot. Pro-independence and anti-separation groups both say a government with a huge megaphone can tilt public opinion, whichever way it decides to push.
Alberta Oct. 19 referendum questions explained
Albertans are slated to vote on nine proposals touching immigration and constitutional issues. Among them are ideas that would tighten access to provincial supports for non-permanent residents, including a proposal requiring them to live in Alberta for a year before qualifying for public social support programs. Another proposes fees for health care and education for non-permanent residents who pay taxes on income from Canadian sources.
A tenth question on provincial independence may also appear, depending on whether a petition effort meets the legal bar and on a pending decision from a Court of King’s Bench judge.
Danielle Smith referendum advertising plans
Smith has been open about using government resources to promote her preferred outcomes. After launching a government website aimed at persuading residents to back the proposals, she said last week the province won’t be “a bystander” and will be “actively persuading the public” to vote yes on the government-sponsored questions. She also said taxpayer-funded advertising is justified because the questions are government-sponsored.
The government has not said what its advertising budget will be. Yonathan Sumamo, an assistant deputy minister of communications and public engagement, said the campaign is ongoing and final costs “will be reported through standard government disclosure processes.”
The referendum website is being run under executive council, which has a $104-million budget this fiscal year.
Alberta referendum spending rules spark backlash
The core complaint is that Alberta’s rules restrict political parties and third-party advertisers, but do not cap what the government itself can spend in a standalone referendum.
Last spring, in legislation that also made it easier for citizen-initiative campaigns to reach a vote, Alberta clarified there are no restrictions on government advertising in a standalone referendum like the one scheduled for Oct. 19. Until then, limits existed when referendums were held during general or local elections, but the rules for a standalone vote were unclear.
More recently, Smith’s government also removed a $5-million advertising spending limit for parties, constituency associations and MLAs during referendums.
Third-party advertisers still face a cap: they can spend up to $607,000 during the referendum period, which begins once a referendum question is approved through an order in council. Donation rules are also tighter: individuals, corporations and unions can give up to $5,000 annually.
Avnish Nanda, an Edmonton lawyer campaigning against Smith’s immigration proposals, filed a complaint with Elections Alberta arguing the government shouldn’t be allowed to spend public money on referendum advertising, calling it unfair. Nanda said Elections Alberta declined to investigate his complaint.
Alberta independence petition and court challenge
Separatists are moving quickly to try to force a vote on Alberta leaving Confederation. Stay Free Alberta, led by Mitch Sylvestre, says it has the signatures needed to trigger an independence referendum and plans to submit the petition paperwork Monday to Elections Alberta’s Edmonton office. The threshold cited in reports is about 178,000 signatures, and the petition drive began in January with a deadline in early May.
Even if enough signatures are submitted, the petition faces a major legal challenge. A group of Alberta First Nations has launched a court case arguing an independence referendum would violate treaty rights. An Edmonton judge is expected to rule next week, according to The Canadian Press.
How Alberta groups fear a “David and Goliath” fight
What’s unusual is how many camps are worried about the same thing: the province’s ability to dominate the airwaves.
Sylvestre, despite pushing for independence, says he’s concerned the government could use unlimited public funds to argue against separation. Smith has said she believes Alberta should remain in Canada.
On the other side, Thomas Lukaszuk, the former deputy premier behind the Forever Canadian petition opposing separation, also described the dynamic as “David and Goliath,” suggesting the government could end up advocating for independence and, either way, will be spending taxpayers’ money on messaging that many taxpayers won’t support.
Strategist Stephen Carter, who has been trying to revive the Alberta Liberal Party as a vehicle to resist Smith’s referendum proposals, put it more bluntly: the government can spend millions, while everyone else has to fundraise and watch the limits.
With the referendum clock ticking and the court decision looming, the next few weeks will determine not just what’s on the ballot, but how lopsided the campaign could feel once it starts in earnest.
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