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Comment by BiraIgnacio | Hacker News Reader

The referendum is actually about having a referendum first.

"Alberta to hold fall referendum on whether to have binding referendum on separating from Canada" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-separation-r...

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New Caledonia have been hesitating about independence the longest. In a referendum in 1958, they voted against independence from France. In 1987, they again voted against independence. In 1988, they voted to hold a referendum about independence in 1998. In 1998, they didn't hold that referendum, but instead voted their approval of a 20-year plan to transition to increased autonomy. In 2018, they voted against independence. In 2020, they voted against independence. In 2021, they voted against independence. In 2024, they had a crisis over disagreements about the rules about voting about independence.

That made me laugh actually. What a good way of wasting taxpayers money and make people laugh at the same time.

More seriously: Why?

The UCP are trying to prolong this whole affair and, I think, trying to pander to separatists without actually risking that Alberta separate.

ETA: There is definitely a significant pro-separatist faction within the UCP, but I don't think the current party leadership is really willing to commit to separating, even if they are buddy-buddy with key figures in the current US regime.

Also note that this referendum does not require that the question be clear (per the Clarity Act), which will allow them to confuse voters and garner apparently higher support, that they can use to coerce the federal government into giving them what they want.

Classic bureaucracy.

No, it would be a waste to spend countless millions (nevermind the human capital of "attention") on the campaigning, without first validating that a true quorom of people even want to think about this, rather than a very vocal minority. It's a governance equivalent of saying "step up or shut up", and it's not stupid or wasteful

You're too eager to label legit "governance" as bureaucracy imho

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