At a press conference in Calgary Premier Jason Kenney left the door open to only allowing those who are currently policed by the RCMP to vote on their dismissal and replacement by a provincial force.
“Are you concerned that urban voters will pose an obstacle to removing the Trudeau’s RCMP from Alberta,” I asked the Premier at the McDougall Centre, referring to the fact that most urban Albertans are served by local police forces already.
“We haven’t made any final decisions yet,” Kenney said. “I will note that we have the ability under the referendum act to hold referenda in certain regions of the province.”
“One possibility would be to invite only Albertans who are policed by the RCMP and who would be directly effected by this, to vote on it.”
If the Government of Alberta decided do this in any theoretical referendum on RCMP dismissal, Edmonton’s left wing and Trudeau sympathetic voters would be kept at bay – paving the way for a likely victory for provincialists.
Currently the Alberta government as approved two referenda to take place on October 18th, one to review the equalization formula and a second to repeal the two clock system that the province currently observes.