The former leader of the United Kingdom David Cameron drew on his own experience with referendums Monday while speaking in Calgary, but cautioned against comparing Alberta’s current debate with Brexit.
Cameron was a keynote speaker at the Energy Disruptors: UNITE 2026 conference at the BMO Centre.
During a fireside chat with Holly Ransom, Cameron was asked what lessons he took from the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the 2016 Brexit vote.
Cameron said one of the realities of putting a question directly to voters is uncertainty over what they will decide.
“You know if you have a referendum, you know you can’t guarantee what the result’s going to be,” he said.
“I wouldn’t compare what you’re discussing here with the Brexit referendum,” he added.
“Brexit was about whether we wanted to stay in a trade association with an element of political union. Canada is not a trade association with an element of political union. Canada is an amazing country with an incredible history.”
Cameron said the Scottish independence vote had been particularly difficult because it dealt with the possible breakup of the United Kingdom.
He said allowing the referendum was, in his view, a matter of respecting the decision of Scottish voters, while ensuring the process was fair.
He also reflected on Brexit, saying he still considers whether he could have approached negotiations with the European Union differently before the vote.
Cameron led the campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union, but resigned as prime minister after voters chose to leave in June 2016.
Speaking at an unrelated news conference on Monday, Premier Danielle Smith said she agreed with Cameron’s assertion that the two things aren’t alike.
“He’s very right; I mean, the U.K. was a global empire that had all of the functions of government under a single administration. Alberta, as a province of Canada, has many areas of constitutional jurisdiction that have never fallen to the province, and so would have to be created from scratch,” Smith said.
“That’s why the (University of Calgary’s) School of Public Policy did a comprehensive review of what it would take to stand up federal institutions from scratch.
“It would be a substantial amount of investment for Alberta if Albertans chose to go that path.”
Asked specifically about Canada’s current political debate, Cameron said he did not want to interfere in another country’s politics, but emphasized the longstanding relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom.
“This is about the future of a country, not your membership of a trade association. That’s the only point I’d make,” he said.,
Albertans vote Oct. 19 in a 10-question provincial referendum.
Question 10 asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or if the provincial government should begin the constitutional process toward holding a binding referendum on separation.
With files from Melissa Gilligan
