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3d ago

U.S. Treasury Chief Boosts Alberta Secession Talk, Calling Province a 'Natural Partner'

Scott Bessent’s comments inject high-level U.S. attention into a provincial independence push facing a May signature deadline.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent's remarks were in response to a question about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s much-celebrated World Economic Forum speech in which he identified a 'rupture' in the world order and publicly condemned economic coercion.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, pictured at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, brought up an effort for Alberta to leave Canada this week and claimed people want what the U.S. has.
A person wears an Alberta First hat while signing a petition to have a referendum on Alberta separation in Stony Plain, Alta., on Jan. 22.
FILE - U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Overview

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Alberta is a “natural partner for the U.S.” and referenced talk of a referendum on staying in Canada during an interview on Real America’s Voice in Davos.
  • His remarks make him the highest-ranking U.S. official to weigh in on Alberta separatism, elevating a movement long discussed by conservative commentators.
  • Petition organizers must collect roughly 177,000–178,000 signatures by May 2 to force a vote on independence, a question that does not propose joining the United States and would trigger federal negotiations if passed.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says she supports a strong Alberta within Canada and that most residents are not interested in becoming a U.S. state, while federal ministers emphasized focusing on Canadian sovereignty.
  • Separatist figures claim unverified meetings with senior U.S. officials as Republican voices promote bringing Alberta into the U.S., set against a broader Trump–Carney dispute that included Trump rescinding an invitation to his Board of Peace initiative.