Alberta Court of Appeal hears stay request for separatist referendum petition ruling

The Alberta Court of Appeal is hearing arguments on a request to stay a lower‑court ruling that nullified the Stay Free Alberta petition, which sought a direct referendum on the province leaving Canada. The petition, submitted in May, claimed to have collected nearly 302,000 signatures. A lower‑court judge had ruled the petition should not have been issued and said Premier Danielle Smith’s government failed to consult First Nations. Both the group’s lawyer, Jeff Rath, and the provincial government have appealed the decision. Justice Alice Woolley, hearing the stay application, expressed concerns about aspects of the original ruling, particularly the interpretation of recent legislative changes to the petition process. The controversy has prompted Smith to include a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum.