Federal Minister Says Government Expects Foreign States to ‘Respect Canadian Sovereignty’ as Alberta Referendum Approaches

Ottawa is working with the provincial government in Alberta to ensure there are “strong safeguards” in place for its upcoming referendum, federal Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon says.

MacKinnon said in an Oct. 8 statement that the federal government is working alongside provincial authorities, including Elections Alberta and local law enforcement, to protect the Oct. 19 referendum process.

The referendum seeks citizen input on a number of issues, including having broader provincial control over immigration, abolishing the Senate, and whether to start the process to hold a binding separation referendum. 

“The government of Canada is committed to protecting the integrity of our democratic processes and institutions, and the prime minister has been clear that we expect all foreign states to respect Canadian sovereignty in the context of the Alberta referendum,” MacKinnon said. “Albertans can trust that their rights will be protected, and that action will be taken against any attempts to undermine our democracy.”

MacKinnon’s comments come amid media reports about some activists in the Alberta separation movement meeting with unnamed U.S. figures in Washington and in Alberta.

Public Safety Canada, under the leadership of the minister of public safety, typically takes the lead in addressing foreign interference issues. The ministry hasn’t issued any public statement about any foreign interference threats to the referendum, and didn’t respond to a request for comment if there has been any known threats. 

As the leader of the Government in the House of Commons, MacKinnon takes the lead on issues related to federal elections. He was the sponsor of the Strong and Free Elections Act legislation passed in 2026, which seeks to strengthen federal elections against foreign interference threats. Elections and referendums in Alberta are overseen by Elections Alberta, which is a provincial agency.

Foreign Influence Commissioner Anton Boegman says his office has been in contact with some of the prominent players of the Alberta separatism movement, telling them that under federal law, if any one is acting as an agent of a foreign government, that needs to be registered. 

“We wanted to make sure that they were aware of what the requirements are of our law, so if they did meet those, that they could then register,” he said.

Boegman became Canada’s first foreign influence transparency commissioner on Aug. 4, the day the foreign influence registry opened. The registry is a public database established to track activities undertaken on behalf of foreign entities to influence Canadian political or governmental processes.

Referendum

Albertans will cast votes on 10 separate ballots in the upcoming referendum. One ballot will ask voters if they want a to hold a binding vote on separating from Canada.

The question will read, “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

The other questions listed on the referendum, announced in February, concern immigration reform and constitutional issues.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she and her caucus support Alberta remaining in Canada, while pledging to accept the referendum’s result regardless of the outcome.