Smith pushed back after Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi and other federalists warned that holding the vote during an escalating Canada-U.S. trade war could undermine national unity.
“Well, it’s a separate process,” Smith said when asked whether the referendum could expose a weak link that the Trump administration could exploit.
“We have citizen initiative law,” she added, arguing the government must respect petitions that receive enough public support to put a question to voters.
Albertans are scheduled to vote Oct. 19 on whether Alberta should remain in Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation.
Smith pointed to competing petition campaigns as justification for holding the vote.
“400,000 people asked for a vote to remain, 300,000 people asked for a vote to leave,” she said.
