Recall, Referenda, and Resetting Ottawa–Alberta Relations

Premier Danielle Smith joins Jason Lavigne for a substantive conversation on where Alberta goes next, and what it will take to secure genuine self-determination inside (or beyond) the current Canadian framework. From recall and citizen-initiated referenda to the Sovereign Alberta within a United Canada Act, Smith outlines how Alberta can reassert jurisdiction, resist federal overreach, and rebuild public services strained by rapid growth.

In this episode:

- Democratic tools that work: lowering barriers to recall and citizen-initiated referenda so voters, not parties, set the agenda

- Sovereignty in practice: using Alberta’s constitutional powers and pushing back on Ottawa’s intrusion via criminal law, censorship rules, and regulation

- History matters: why the old federal disallowance power still haunts provincial autonomy, and what Alberta has learned

- A new balance with Ottawa: energy, pipelines, and emissions policy vs. provincial jurisdiction and economic reality

- Capacity under pressure: immigration surges, schools and health care at the breaking point, and how to catch up fast

- The independence wave: what’s driving it, what would calm it, and what happens if Ottawa stays the course

If you want a clear look at the road ahead, constitutional, political, and practical, this conversation sets the table.