Carney Calls for U.S. Respect of Canadian Sovereignty After Alberta Separatist Meeting

On Thursday, January 25, 2024, Prime Minister Mark Carney held a news conference with Canada’s 13 premiers in Ottawa. Responding to U.S. State Department confirmation that members of an Alberta separatist group met with Trump officials, Carney and Premier Danielle Smith demanded that the United States respect Canadian sovereignty and keep discussions confined to Albertans. Smith called the meetings "treason" and urged Washington to pressure the Trump administration. The conference also touched on proposed independence referendums in Alberta and Quebec, with Premier François Legault noting that most Quebecers oppose sovereignty. Carney added that removing inter‑provincial trade barriers could add an estimated $210 billion to Canada’s GDP, per an IMF report. Meanwhile, Alberta’s pipeline plans to the West Coast still exclude Kitimat as a landing port.