A referendum is being held in the Canadian province of Alberta on October 19. In this, people will decide whether the province should remain a part of Canada or not. In an Ipsos-Global News survey, about 70% of Alberta people are in favor of remaining with Canada. Despite this, the people demanding creation of a separate country are not ready to back down. The demand for a separate country in Alberta is not a new thing. The biggest reason behind this is the resentment over oil earnings and distribution of money with the central government. Alberta has the fourth largest reserves of oil in the world in terms of proven oil reserves. The oil industry here is a major source of employment and income. Supporters of creating a separate country say that Alberta gives a lot of money to the central government, but it does not get much benefit in return. They allege that the province’s earnings are used to help other parts of Canada. This controversy increased again after Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister in 2015. His government implemented carbon tax and many rules to reduce pollution. People associated with Alberta’s oil industry opposed them. He believed that these rules would affect the oil business. Will Alberta become a separate country after voting? No. In this referendum, people are not being asked to directly decide whether Alberta should immediately become a separate country or not. They are being asked whether legal processes should be initiated to move towards separation. People have two options – 1. Remain a part of Canada 2. Initiate a referendum process to decide on future separation Even if people vote in favor of the second option, Alberta will not immediately become a separate country. This will require negotiations with the central government of Canada, other provinces and the indigenous communities living there. In case of separation, decisions will have to be taken on many questions. These include the sharing of resources, rights, and the future relationship with Canada. Prime Minister Carney is from Alberta, not in favor of separation. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney himself grew up in Alberta. They also believe that there is resentment among the people of the province. However, they are not in favor of separating Alberta from Canada. He has warned people not to vote in favor of separation. Such a decision can create political strife and uncertainty in the country for a long time. Carney said that because of central government policies, many Albertans feel as if their own resources are not theirs. However, the government is trying to improve relations with Alberta. Why is the Chief Minister holding a referendum again against separation? Alberta Chief Minister Daniel Smith eased the process of holding a referendum last year. After this the issue of independence came into further discussion in the politics of the state. However, Smith himself is not in favor of separating Alberta from Canada. She said she was voting against separation. According to experts, the politics of Smith’s own party is also behind this referendum. Many people in his party are in favor of making Alberta a separate country. Smith wants to resolve the ongoing differences between her own party’s leaders and supporters through a referendum. Apart from the referendum, 9 more questions are being asked. Voting is not only taking place on the issue of independence in Alberta. Opinion is being sought from people on a total of 10 questions. 1. Alberta independence: Should Alberta secede from Canada and become an independent country? 2. Number of immigrants: Should the Alberta government be empowered to limit the number of immigrants coming into the province? 3. Priority for locals: Should Albertans be given priority for jobs over people coming from outside? 4. Separate rules on health services: Should separate rules be made to provide government health services to people living temporarily? 5. Educational facilities: Should there be some restrictions on providing government education to the children of temporary residents? 6. Government subsidies: Should people be required to live in Alberta for at least 12 months to receive government subsidies and other benefits? 7. ID to vote: Should people be required to show proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections? 8. Provinces’ right to choose judges: Should Alberta and other provinces have the right to choose judges for their own courts? 9. Abolishing the Senate of Canada: Should the Senate, the upper house of the country’s Parliament, be abolished? 10. More rights to the provinces: Should the provincial governments have more rights than the central government in matters like health and education? Chief Minister Smith has appealed against the first proposal and in support of the remaining nine proposals. He says this will give Alberta more power in negotiations with the central government. The Trump government is accused of promoting separatists. The Trump government is accused of promoting people demanding a separate country. Several reports have claimed that US officials meet and help separatist leaders of Alberta. According to a CNN report, separatists are considering Trump’s return to power as the right time to separate Alberta. Some separatists are also talking about making Alberta the 51st state of America instead of making it an independent country. In February, a billboard was also installed on the highway between Calgary and Edmonton, calling for Alberta to join the United States. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant had also given this indication in January this year. He said that Alberta has a lot of natural resources and is a natural partner of America. He also said that the people of Alberta are independent-minded and there is talk that people there could hold a referendum on whether to remain in Canada or secede.
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कनाडा से अलग होने पर आज अल्बर्टा में वोटिंग: 70% लोग साथ रहने के पक्ष में, तेल की कमाई को लेकर 50 साल पुराना झगड़ा
