With less than 3 weeks before Alberta's referendum, Poilievre makes case for Canadian unity in Edmonton

With less than 3 weeks before Alberta's referendum, Poilievre makes case for Canadian unity in Edmonton

Alberta's fall referendum will have question about separation

As Albertans prepare to vote in a referendum next month that will ask if the province should stay in Canada or hold a binding referendum on independence, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told an Edmonton crowd he supports a united Canada.

Poilievre addressed a crowd of over 100 people who gathered to hear him speak at a hotel in the downtown core on Tuesday evening.

The walls of the conference room where Poilievre spoke were adorned by Alberta flags and Canadian flags and some audience members were holding Canadian flags.

Tuesday's event was part of the Conservatives for Canada campaign which is seeing federal conservative politicians advocate for Confederation.

Poilievre, who grew up in Calgary, said that after speaking with some Alberta separatists, he has come to believe their problem isn’t with Canada, but with Canada's federal Liberal government.

“It is the government policies that are actually inconsistent with how Canada was meant to work in the first place,” he said in his nearly 30-minute speech.

Poilievre says those who vote for Alberta separation 'are not our enemies'

Poilievre pointed to grievances that he believes Albertans and people in several other provinces have with the current federal government like the introduction of the federal gun buyback program, the ongoing high cost of living and concerns about untapped potential in the oil and gas industry.

“Many Albertans are legitimately frustrated that a costly and controlling, big and bossy government has gone far beyond its jurisdictional boundaries in Ottawa,” he said.

“It's blocked our provinces and people from enjoying the Canadian promise.”

Poilievre said he believes separating from Canada won’t improve Alberta’s circumstances.

“Confederation made the promise to marry the massive powers of our resources in the west with the manufacturing might of the east,” he said.

“It married the autonomy of local provinces with pan-Canadian defence, trade, population and land mass. And it worked because governments did their job but stayed out of the way.”

Poilievre ended his speech by directly addressing young Albertans and Quebecers, asking them to stay united and to “double down on the Canadian promise.”

Several Conservative lawmakers who represent Alberta ridings attended Tuesday night's event, including Edmonton West MP Kelly McCauley, Leduc-Wetaskiwin MP Mike Lake and Fort McMurray-Cold Lake MP Laila Goodridge.

Parkland MP Dane Lloyd, who is the Conservatives' caucus lead on the party's campaign to stay in Canada, introduced Poilievre to the crowd.

"We love our country," he said. "We love our home province of Alberta. And that's why we are fighting for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada."

Poilievre has previously said all federal Conservative MPs will be campaigning for Canadian unity in Alberta.

Poilievre delivered his speech on Tuesday with less than three weeks to go before Albertans will vote on 10 questions in the Oct. 19 referendum.

Emma Zhao is a reporter with CBC Edmonton. You can reach her at emma.zhao@cbc.ca.