Official Opposition calls on Alberta Premier to ‘come clean on the real cost of her referendum ‘

News Release

DANIELLE SMITH MUST COME CLEAN ON THE REAL COST OF HER REFERENDUM

CALGARY — Premier Danielle Smith must disclose the full cost of her October referendum and stop hiding associated expenses from the public.
So far, the referendum is expected to cost approximately $130 million to administer. New documents obtained through Access to Information requests have revealed at least $665,000 in additional spending on a referendum website, advertising, and promotional videos.
Known costs include:
$130 million for the referendum vote
$1.5 million for the economic analysis
$300,000 for a referendum website
$160,000 for television advertising
$205,000 for promotional videos
These figures do not include the broader economic costs associated with the government’s referendum campaign. Alberta separation could shrink the provincial economy by as much as $62 billion annually and put thousands of jobs at risk, according to a report commissioned by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
Regardless of the vote results, business leaders are warning that ongoing uncertainty is already harming investor confidence and economic growth.
“Albertans are paying the bills for the UCP’s separatist referendum, and the cost keeps growing,” said Naheed Nenshi, Leader of the Official Opposition of Alberta. “Every week we learn about more public money being spent to promote Danielle Smith’s political agenda, while her government makes cruel cuts to benefits for people living with disabilities. Meanwhile, our hospitals and schools overflow, and this government is doing nothing to create jobs or grow the economy.”
The government must publicly release a full accounting of all referendum-related spending, including advertising, communications, contractors, fees for UCP consultants, and any projected economic costs associated with the government’s campaign.
“Albertans shouldn’t have to rely on ATIA requests and media investigations to find out where their money is going,” said Nenshi. “The fact that journalists and the Alberta NDP had to force these numbers into the public domain raises serious questions about what other costs the government is hiding. Danielle Smith needs to come clean and tell Albertans exactly how much this referendum will cost them.”
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