Alberta NDP MLA Samir Kayande says “nobody” wants the province’s upcoming referendum, apparently dismissing hundreds of thousands of Albertans who signed petitions demanding a vote on Alberta’s future.

“Nobody wants Danielle Smith’s separatism referendum. Cancel it,” the Calgary-Elbow MLA posted on social media.

Nobody wants Danielle Smith's separatism referendum. Cancel it. https://t.co/hePej6xVZv

— Samir Kayande 🇺🇦🧡🇨🇦 (@SamirKayande) August 31, 2026

Kayande cited a poll tracker showing 70% support for remaining in Canada, 26% for independence, and 4% undecided.

But the poll does not support his claim.

It measures how Albertans may vote, not whether they should be permitted to vote at all. Supporting Alberta’s continued membership in Canada and supporting the democratic right to hold a referendum are not mutually exclusive positions.

More than 700,000 signatures have been collected through citizen-led petition campaigns seeking a public vote on Alberta’s constitutional future. That makes Kayande’s claim that “nobody” wants a referendum demonstrably false.

In the formal citizen initiative organized by Stay Free Alberta, organizers delivered approximately 301,000 signatures to Elections Alberta. After the statutory count and verification process, Elections Alberta reported 279,337 valid signatures and estimated that 222,597 were verified.

That exceeded the required threshold of 177,732 signatures by nearly 45,000.

The referendum is scheduled for October 19, 2026. On Question 10, Albertans will choose between remaining a province of Canada and directing the government to begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation.

Voting for the second option would not immediately make Alberta independent. It would initiate the constitutional and legal process leading to another vote.

Kayande is free to campaign for Alberta to remain in Canada. He is also free to argue that independence lacks majority support. The poll he shared provides evidence for that argument.

What it does not establish is that “nobody” wants the referendum or that the vote should be cancelled.

A referendum exists precisely because polling is not voting. Polls sample public opinion. Referendums allow every eligible Albertan to decide.

Demanding that the government cancel a scheduled democratic vote because one side appears likely to win is not an argument against the referendum. It is an argument against allowing Albertans to speak for themselves.

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