EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith claims her vision for a sovereign Alberta is similar to Quebec's desire for autonomy, saying that she wants Alberta to remain in Canada with freedoms similar to the ones granted to Quebec by the federal government. "My job right now is to give Albertans hope and to give them an alternative, and the alternative is to give me a mandate to pursue more measures to increase our autonomy, similar to what Quebec has done," said Smith during a press conference following her speech at an event in Quebec City on Wednesday. .Alberta's referendum to hold an independence referendum was the focal point of Smith's press conference, held in a province that is potentially approaching its third vote on whether it wants to leave Canada. Quebec, for various reasons, including efforts to quell previous sovereignty movements in the 1980s and 90s, has often been granted powers and freedoms that other provinces do not have. "The Quebec-Canada agreement from 1991 on immigration, we should look at doing that," Smith said. "We've also replicated some of the legislation that Quebec has about provincial priorities and making sure the federal government has to work with our provincial government.""About making sure that when international agreements are signed, they have to be affirmed by our legislature. Those are things that Quebec has already done within a united Canada, and so we think that those are the kind of things that Albertans would like to see as well." .The October referendum will feature a series of questions centred on fighting for more provincial control over immigration, prioritizing provincial jurisdiction where there is conflict with federal areas, increasing say over judge selection, and abolishing the unelected Senate. Smith said she has observed a unique relationship that prime ministers have historically had with Quebec's premiers. "What I notice about the relationship between Canada and Quebec is there's a very strong relationship between the premier and the prime minister, and it's one of mutual respect, and I think that the rest of the provinces are asking for that same thing," Smith said. "Don't come into Alberta and try to work with individual mayors, and try to split and divide people, and try to fund different agencies that have different priorities for the province. Quebec has put in measures in place to make sure that doesn't happen, and we're replicating those measures now." .Smith delivered her speech on Wednesday to Quebec business owners, and centred her address on a sentiment of commonality between Alberta and Quebec. "Our provinces may be different in their history and in some of their priorities, but we share a common conviction that the strength of Canada rests on respect for provincial autonomy, democratic expression, and the constitutional right of each province to determine its own future within the federation," Smith said in French. According to Smith, much of her campaign to keep Alberta in Canada has focused on showing Albertans that the confederacy can work, not just telling them. Travelling to Quebec and advocating for a "Queberta" economic alliance are examples of what she claims are attempts to demonstrate why Albertans should vote to remain in Canada. "I’m here to reinforce the Alberta–Quebec relationship to ensure our governments, our economies, and our peoples are building strong, autonomous provinces within a united Canada," Smith said in her speech. "Like Quebec, our relationship with the federal government hasn’t always been easy. We’ve both dealt with an Ottawa that has refused to listen to our needs and ignored the constitutional rights of our provinces. But in Alberta, we are paving the way for our province to move forward."
