Separatists declare Bill 14 a “massive win” for independence drive

Alberta independence leaders say the province’s new Justice Statutes Amendment Act marks a major turning point for the independence movement.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author: Isaac Lamoureux

Alberta independence leaders say the province’s new Justice Statutes Amendment Act marks a major turning point for the independence movement, calling the overhaul of initiative rules a long-sought victory that clears the way for an eventual referendum on separation.

The Alberta Prosperity Project said the legislation removes barriers that previously allowed Elections Alberta to block or delay citizen-initiated referendum questions, including those related to separation.

In a press release issued shortly after Bill 14 was tabled, the group argued the overhaul eliminates the procedural grounds that prevented an independence initiative from advancing.

“This is a massive win for Alberta’s future,” said APP CEO Mitch Sylvestre. “Bill 14 doesn’t just remove barriers; it hands us the keys to the referendum we deserve. We’re seizing this moment to build a prosperous, independent Alberta.”

When speaking at a Thursday press conference, Justice Minister Mickey Amery said the bill would also bring the APP’s ongoing legal fight to an end, noting that any court challenges tied to unapproved initiative applications will automatically stop once the legislation takes effect.

He confirmed that “any ongoing court proceedings related to unapproved initiative applications would be discontinued,” adding that groups will be able to restart their efforts under the new process rather than continue litigation.

Petition proposals were previously required not to contravene Sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act. Bill 14 removed that requirement, meaning pre-screening questions for Charter compliance are no longer necessary.

Amery also emphasized that the new law does not restrict which topics Albertans may bring forward, including questions related to separation.

“The purpose of what we’re doing here is intended to create a permissive environment, a simpler environment, a more streamlined one for individual Albertans who have important matters that they want to put forward to other Albertans to be able to do so,” he said. “Whether I like the question or not, whether I agree with the question or not is completely irrelevant.”

However, he added that the changes had nothing to do with separatists. He said it was just about creating a democratic environment with the least amount of restrictions possible.

Proponents of Alberta independence celebrated the fact that the oversight shifted from the Chief Electoral Officer to Amery, which they said “empower(s) the government to fast-track valid petitions like ours — without the red tape that previously stalled progress.”

The APP has been engaged in a lengthy court battle to get its referendum question to voters. While they said they were confident they’d have won, the obstacles no longer remain.

Alberta Prosperity Project General Counsel Jeffrey Rath said the petition drive will begin in January 2026.

He told True North that the APP already has over 300,000 pledges to sign the petition, meaning that achieving the 177,000 signatures required in 120 days should not be that challenging to accomplish.