Canada: Alberta votes on holding independence referendum
0 / 28
English
中文
Canada's oil-rich western province of Alberta is not deemed likely to vote in favor of a real breakaway plebiscite. Nevertheless the separatist movement hopes to gain leverage over Mark Carney's government.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Residents of Alberta in Canada are voting in a referendum on whether the province should begin a process that could ultimately lead to independence.
（暂无翻译）
The motion does not appear likely to succeed but the vote taking place at all signifies economic and political grievances gaining some sway in the vast oil-rich region.
（暂无翻译）
Separatist leaders hope that a comparatively strong showing for their cause could nevertheless pressure Prime Minister Mark Carney's government in Ottawa to pay them more heed in future.
（暂无翻译）
Polls opened at 9 a.m. local time in the provincial capital Edmonton (1500 GMT/UTC) on Monday.
（暂无翻译）
They are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. that evening (Tuesday, 0200 GMT/UTC).
（暂无翻译）
Results will then be published as they come in.
（暂无翻译）
At least based on opinion polls, the yes/no result is in no real doubt, but as many as 1 in 3 voters might support the proposal.
（暂无翻译）
Monday's referendum is the first on the notion of breaking away from Canada in a province other than majority French-speaking Quebec, which has a better-known separatist movement founded in language and cultural differences.
（暂无翻译）
The vast oil-rich state is almost double the size of Germany in terms of land mass, but is much more sparsely populated with around 5 million residents. Almost half of them live in its two main cities, Edmonton and Calgary.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Alberta's provincial government is led by Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party while Mark Carney's Liberal Party lead the national government.
（暂无翻译）
Smith herself does not advocate independence and has urged voters to oppose the motion. But she has nevertheless authorized the vote, seemingly in a bid to assuage an increasingly vocal flank within her own ranks.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Independence advocates accuse the government of stifling Alberta's oil industry, for instance through environmental regulations, and also say they contribute disproportionately to the national public purse.
（暂无翻译）
"Canada has an imbalanced system which feeds the central population and government at the expense of the outlying producing provinces such as Alberta," said Cory Morgan, founder of a pro-separation organization called Pathway to Independence.
（暂无翻译）
Carney, who grew up in Alberta, has spent much of the past week campaigning for the "stay" campaign, appealing to national pride and urging supporters to vote to provide as resounding a result as possible — even in what might not be a close race.
（暂无翻译）
The renowned economist and central banker often argued that the separatist cause might be guilty of overlooking matters more significant than dollars and drilling permits.
（暂无翻译）
"Canada is not a transaction between provinces. It's not about gross and net, gives and gets," he said at an event in Red Deer on Friday.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Although polls in French-speaking Quebec suggest that enthusiasm for independence — typically a minority cause — is lower than usual during Carney's premiership, the issue is never very far from the political debate. The success of the separatist Parti Quebecois in local elections this month served as a reminder of this.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Carney is also trying to maintain national unity amid pressure from Canada's nearest neighbor and biggest trade partner.
（暂无翻译）
US President Donald Trump is conducting characteristically combative trade talks with Canada that have seemed in danger of breaking down in recent months.
（暂无翻译）
When at his most agitated, Trump has even called for Canada to become the "51st state" of the US. He has also tried to rename bodies of water like Lake Ontario.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you'll always see our verified news first.
（暂无翻译）
仅供学习使用，如有侵权请联系删除 · 查看原文