Why I'm voting yes to Canada

On October 19th, I will vote to keep Alberta in Canada. I also believe it is important for every Albertan to have the chance to vote on this question, including those who would prefer to leave Canada.

I am voting to stay because I believe Alberta’s future is brighter inside Canada. When the Wildrose and PC parties merged in 2017 to form the United Conservative Party, one of our founding principles was loyalty to a united Canada. I ran on that principle in 2019, and again in 2023. I remain just as committed to it today. I want to build the strongest possible Alberta, and the strongest possible Canada.

But I do not look down on the Albertans who will vote the other way. They are Albertans who have watched Ottawa landlock our energy industry, attack the sectors that built this province, and dismiss our contribution to Confederation for too long. That frustration is legitimate. It is widely shared. And we cannot simply wish it away.

That is why this referendum must happen. Nearly 700,000 Albertans have signed petitions on both sides of this question. We cannot dismiss their voices. The only path forward is a democratic vote that delivers a clear mandate from Albertans.

You may have heard that an Alberta court recently struck down the “Stay Free Alberta” petition. Our government will appeal that decision because we believe the judge was wrong in law. An appeal could take years, and Albertans cannot wait that long to be heard.

That is why the October referendum question is structured the way it is. A binding constitutional referendum on separation would fall under the same court ruling we are appealing. Our question is non-binding by design. It asks Albertans whether the Government of Alberta should begin the legal process required to hold a binding referendum later. Critics call it “a referendum about a referendum.” I call it the only path that gets Albertans a vote this fall instead of years from now.

The result on October 19th will give us clear direction. A vote to stay closes the question. No more referendums on leaving Canada. No more uncertainty hanging over our province. A vote the other way gives the government a democratic mandate to begin the consultations required before any constitutionally valid, binding referendum on separation can begin.

If you want this question settled once and for all, I believe the best path is a strong vote to stay in Canada. That is the path I will be promoting for the next five months.

That debate will play out at our kitchen tables, on our job sites, and in our coffee shops here in Sherwood Park and across the province. I am asking everyone, on both sides, to keep it respectful. We will still be family, friends, neighbours, and coworkers on October 20th, no matter how the vote goes.

If you share my view that Alberta belongs in Canada, please reach out to my office. I want to hear from you, and I welcome your help making the case between now and October 19th.

Nate Glubish is the MLA for Strathcona-Sherwood Park. If you have questions about this column or any provincial government issues, he would like to hear from you. Contact Glubish’s constituency office at 780-416-2492 or by email to strathcona.sherwoodpark@assembly.ab.ca.