Stay Free Alberta petition quashed – ‘messianic complex’

Andrew Coyne has written a piece (paywall) on the separatist petition failure. Here.

“I am reminded of a quote Mr. Parker gave to a sympathetic interviewer a couple of years back. “I always had this – my wife calls it a messianic complex,” he allowed. “Perhaps. But I always had the idea to be great.”

The messianic complex can be associated with narcissistic personality disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. A messiah complex is driven primarily by a need for control over others or a desire for validation and power. It ranges from daily relationship issues to severe psychiatric delusions. It’s a way to avoid facing one’s own problems by focusing entirely on the perceived weaknesses of others.

Environmental factors may be involved. Individuals raised in highly controlled or deeply engrained environments tend to view themselves as savior.

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Calgary lawyer Clarke Ries has penned a highly recommended article Here.

“Of the 26% of Albertans who claim to support secession, only half (13%) strongly agree that Alberta should separate from Canada, compared to 56% of Albertans who strongly disagree. When it comes to manning the barricades, the patriots outnumber the traitors four to one.”

“Alberta’s First Nations are signatories to a series of treaties with Canada, not with Alberta. There is no constitutional entitlement for Alberta to unilaterally replace Canada as the counterparty to those treaties.

The treaty obligations to natives cannot be assumed by an “independent foreign state”.

“None of these treaty-related issues bother the separatists. The irony of that attitude isn’t apparent to them.” “But what Danielle Smith cannot go over, under, around, or through is section 35 of the Canadian constitution, affirming Indigenous treaty rights, which is steel-plated by virtue of its exemption from the notwithstanding clause.”

“As of yesterday, Plan A — to let radical separatists immune to political blowback do all the dirty work — is toast.”

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An Alberta Court of King’s Bench justice has quashed Elections Alberta’s approval of a petition seeking a referendum on Alberta independence from separatist group Stay Free Alberta. Within hours, Dani Panama said Alberta taxpayers will appeal the decision, calling it ‘undemocratic’.

When asked how far she would go…

Smith claimed that she wanted a permissive approach where any subject could be discussed…

And added she isn’t sure that Duty to Consult applies to separation.

As if two judges hadn’t recently ruled it does.#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/rjt9W8TNQd

— The Breakdown (@TheBreakdownAB) May 13, 2026

➡️ Premier Smith: We think there might have been an error in law and we are going to appeal it. Lay lawyer Dani Panama says she isn’t sure that ‘Duty to Consult’ applies to separation. Two judges have recently said it does, plainly.

Justice Shaina Leonard issued two decisions May 13.

One found that chief electoral officer Gordon McClure made an error in law to approve the second citizen’s initiative petition and failed to consider an earlier decision that said separation would violate Treaty rights. Justice Shaina Leonard has lived in Alberta since 2002, is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran deployed to Afghanistan, and received her LL.M in 2014 from U of A.

Leonard’s conclusion says there was an error of law, “rendering the [chief electoral officer]’s decision unreasonable.” She also found that the government, as representative of the Crown, failed in its duty to consult with applicants Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation, and Siksika Nation.


Stay Free Alberta collected signatures between Jan. 2 and May 2. Mitch Sylvestre, leader of the group, delivered the petition to Elections Alberta’s Edmonton office on May 4.

Terd kicker lawyer Jeff Rath was fundamentally unhappy with Leonard’s decision.

“We disagree fundamentally with the decision which appears on its face to violate principles of natural justice and contain numerous errors of law,” he wrote on X.