WATCH: US officials, conservative figures take notice as Alberta independence petition gains momentum

CALGARY — As the Stay Free Alberta petition for independence continues to gain momentum during its signature-collecting phase, drawing massive lines across Alberta, those south of the border are starting to take serious notice.On Thursday, United States Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent referenced the Alberta sovereignty debate, telling American political commentator Jack Posobiec on his Human Events show that Alberta is “a wealth of natural resources,” but argued the province has been constrained by federal policies that limit pipeline development to the Pacific coast..“I think we should let 'em come down into the US... Alberta's a natural partner for the US,” Bessent said, adding that Albertans are a “very independent people” and are drawn to the US model of government.“People are talking,” Bessent said.“People want sovereignty. They want what the US has got.”The comments come at a time when Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump are locked in a clash over Ottawa and Washington’s geopolitical and economic roles in the Western Hemisphere.Earlier in the week, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and author and geopolitical analyst Brandon Weichert also discussed the Alberta independence movement, framing the province as strategically important to US interests both economically and as a possible gateway to the Arctic region to deal with what Washington sees as a very real threat to regional dominance by China and Russia.Weichert claimed that figures associated with Alberta’s independence movement have held meetings with the US State Department, something that has been previously stated by Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) leaders Mitch Sylvestre and Jeffrey Rath, and suggested Alberta could hold a vote on leaving Canada within the next six months.“They're going to become an independent state, an independent country,” Weichert said..Alberta Prosperity Project warns of possible 'intimidation' from left-wing activists to independence petition.Weichert also cited Alberta’s oil and gas reserves, rare earth minerals, and geothermal energy potential as key factors in US interests.“They have the world's largest geothermal energy resources,” Weichert said.“They have some of the world's largest natural gas and oil deposits. So when Trump says Canada is becoming the 51st state, he's really talking about Alberta, and that's important because that's a gateway to the Arctic.”Bannon also argued that Canada is currently undergoing rapid demographic and political change, which he felt is playing a role in the momentum of the Alberta independence movement.“I think Alberta and this secession movement, they're sitting there going, ‘It's not just about economics, it's not about taxpayers,’” Bannon stated.“Right now, Canada is rapidly changing... 25% of Canada’s population is foreign-born... If you look at Parliament, if you look at the discussion on TV there, these people are hostile to the United States of America.”Currently, the Stay Free Alberta petition, headed by proponent and APP CEO Sylvestre, must gather at least 177,732 signatures, or 10% of electors from the 2023 provincial election, before the petition can be brought before the Legislative Assembly and proposed for a referendum question.

WATCH: US officials, conservative figures take notice as Alberta independence petition gains momentum

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