Prime Minister Mark Carney says Albertans did not vote for a sovereignty referendum because it "wasn't on the ballot" and "wasn't in the governing party's platform."

That's a remarkable argument coming from a prime minister whose governing majority wasn't produced by Canadians explicitly voting for one.

PM Carney: "Is it helpful to ask these fundamental questions? No, it's not helpful. Of course it's not. Is it the democratic will of Albertans? Did they vote for this in the last provincial election? No, they didn't. It wasn't on the ballot paper, it wasn't in the mandates or… pic.twitter.com/uKp2Ym0Wq8

— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson_) May 25, 2026

Because Canadians did not vote for a Liberal majority government.

They voted in a parliamentary system where election results are translated into seats. And in Carney's case, that governing strength was later bolstered through MPs changing parties and crossing the floor without returning to voters for approval.

🚨 Mark Carney’s Liberals are currently working to poach 10 ADDITIONAL MPs, to cross the floor to the Liberals and strengthen their majority pic.twitter.com/C69oYwVU4B

— mistersunshinebaby (@mrsunshinebaby) April 5, 2026

So it is a little rich to suddenly discover concerns about "the will of the people."

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Apparently, Albertans wanting a vote on Alberta's future is somehow democratically suspicious, but MPs changing political teams without asking their constituents first is simply politics as usual.

Let's follow the logic.

Carney argues that Albertans didn't vote for an independence referendum; therefore, the government should not proceed toward one.

But Albertans did vote for a government that strengthened citizen initiatives and direct democracy mechanisms. More importantly, the referendum itself is literally the mechanism to determine public support.

And there is another irony here.

If the confidence is that support for separation is weak, then why the panic over allowing people to vote?

Because referendums exist precisely to settle these questions democratically.

Meanwhile, when MPs cross the floor, there are no automatic by-elections to confirm whether constituents still support them under a new banner.

No one asks voters:

"Do you still approve?"

There are emergency warnings about protecting democracy, and lectures about respecting the original ballot.

Changing the composition of government without asking voters again? Acceptable.

Asking Albertans directly what they want? Dangerous.