NDP MP Heather McPherson Call for Emergency Debate on foreign interference in Alberta referendum denied

OTTAWA – NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona) today requested an emergency debate in the House of Commons on reports of foreign interference in Alberta’s upcoming referendum. The request was denied.

Heather McPherson issued the following statement:

“I am disappointed that my request for an emergency debate on foreign interference in Alberta’s upcoming referendum was denied. With Albertans set to vote in just two weeks, Parliament should be asking tough questions now not after the ballots are counted.

This is a dangerous moment for our country.

Over the weekend, The Globe and Mail revealed new and deeply troubling connections between Alberta separatists and Republican political operatives from the United States. According to the Globe, American political strategists travelled to Alberta to advise separatists on voter-targeting technology, while separatist leaders offered American officials access to Alberta’s fresh water and oil royalties in exchange for assistance with the separatist cause.

Only months ago, Alberta experienced an enormous breach of voter information when nearly three million Albertans’ personal information was exposed through a database connected to the provincial voters list. Federal security officials were sufficiently concerned about the incident that it was the subject of a national security assessment. And reports have indicated for months that Russia is also a source of misinformation targeting Alberta voters.

Albertans vote in just two weeks, and it is urgent that Parliamentarians ask tough questions to the federal government about what the government knows, what our security agencies are doing, and what steps are being taken to protect Albertans and the integrity of the referendum. We cannot wait until after the ballots are counted.

The issue before us is bigger than Alberta and bigger than the separatist movement. Canadians have every right to disagree about the future of our country. But those decisions belong to Canadians. Our sovereignty must not be outsourced to American political operatives, Russian actors, other foreign interests or anyone else seeking to manipulate our democratic process.

This is about Canadian sovereignty.

It is about protecting Canadians’ personal information.

It is about the integrity of our elections.

And it is about whether Canadians get to decide the future of Canada without malign foreign interference.

Canada is already facing extraordinary pressure from the United States, including threats to our sovereignty and economic security. At the same time, we are seeing extremist foreign political actors exploit divisions inside Canada. This impacts all of us.

I am proud to be an Albertan and proud to be Canadian. I vehemently disagree with Danielle Smith’s choice to call this referendum, but I believe Albertans should decide Alberta’s future. We must be able to make that decision freely, with accurate information and without foreign political interference.

What happens in Alberta matters to every Canadian. And Parliament needs to act before it is too late.”