Fact check: Nenshi outlandishly claims an independence referendum will cost $50-100 million dollars
The only way the October referendum in Alberta could blow its budget by as much as 500 percent, as Nenshi purports, is if Nenshi himself managed the process.
On CTV’s Power Play, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi said, “This referendum is going to cost anywhere between fifty and a hundred million dollars.”
Nenshi’s estimate is grossly exaggerated. Elections Alberta has budgeted $20 million to hold a referendum on nine questions.
Adding a question to the list of questions already being asked will cost less than $2 million since the voting mechanisms will already be set up.
Alberta’s general election in 2023 cost an estimated $25–30 million to hold. General elections are more resource-intensive to conduct due to Elections Alberta having to manage 87 constituencies and hundreds of electoral candidates. Referenda are much simpler to conduct.
Naheed Nenshi has never had a close relationship with budgetary realities, as demonstrated by the 44 percent increase in spending in Calgary during his tenure as mayor, coupled with an 83 percent increase in property taxes.
The only way the October referendum in Alberta could blow its budget by as much as 500 percent, as Nenshi purports, is if Nenshi himself managed the process.
Cory Morgan
Cory Morgan is an Alberta-based columnist, political commentator, and longtime advocate for Western Canadian independence. He is the author of the recently updated book The Sovereigntist’s Handbook, a grassroots guide for independence supporters and political activists.
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COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-05-22 19:50:12 -0400Nenshi lies like the Devil. Where does he get those numbers from? I think he makes them up to frighten the TV-watching sheep.
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-05-22 17:10:44 -0400Nenshi’s the sort who, if he told you the sun was shining, you’d have to look out the window to make sure.
