Independence advocates in Alberta say recent political shifts positioning Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for a potential parliamentary majority are fueling their movement to break away from Canada.
Organizers collecting signatures across the western Canadian province for a citizen-initiated independence referendum report increased public backing following Wednesday’s party switch by longtime Conservative member Marilyn Gladu to Carney’s Liberal party.
“We’ve had thousands of signatures since then,” Jeff Rath, spokesperson for the Alberta Prosperity Project independence group, stated during a Thursday interview.
“Mark Carney himself has been the biggest help to the Alberta independence movement,” Rath added.
While Alberta’s election officials have not confirmed signature totals, Rath claims the citizen petition has already surpassed the roughly 177,000 signatures required under provincial law to initiate an October separation referendum.
Carney’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Gladu represents the fourth Conservative lawmaker to switch to the Liberals since November. Carney could achieve a House of Commons majority as early as Monday if his party captures at least one seat in three upcoming special elections. Such a majority would strengthen the prime minister’s ability to advance his legislative priorities.
The most recent defection has sparked significant anger among Conservative supporters. In oil-rich Alberta, which typically votes conservative, many residents feel abandoned by these party switches and fear a Liberal majority government would harm provincial interests, according to Rath.
Social media posts from separatist supporters also suggest the defections could drive additional independence backing.
“If more conservative floor crossers come forward, winning a referendum becomes very hard to stop,” read one social media post on platform X, which independence activist Keith Wilson shared Thursday.
The separatist movement has expanded outreach efforts to the United States to gauge American reactions to potential Alberta independence, Rath noted.
Wilson recently appeared on conservative media host Glenn Beck’s show, with Beck expressing support for the independence cause.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk also seemed to back Alberta separatism this week, responding “Yeah” on X to an independence supporter’s claim that leaving Canada represents the only path to saving the country.
Rath characterized Musk as a “big supporter” of the movement.
The separatist groups face a May 2 deadline to file their petition with Elections Alberta.
Public opinion surveys consistently indicate separation support remains limited in Alberta. A recent poll conducted before Gladu’s defection showed 27% of decided voters would support independence.
