B.C. premier says it's 'treason' for Alberta separatists to meet with Trump administration

OTTAWA — British Columbia Premier David Eby called reported meetings between Alberta separatists and the U.S. administration “treason” on Thursday, as premiers and the prime minister met in Ottawa to discuss the Canada-U.S. trade relationship.

“Now I understand the desire to hold a referendum to talk about the issues you want to talk about, in Canada we have free speech and that’s important,” Eby told reporters.

“But to go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s old fashioned word for that, and that word is treason.”

Thursday’s meeting between premiers and the prime minister is to ensure provincial interests are represented in the upcoming review of the Canada-United-States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) scheduled for this year.

Eby responded to news reports that members of the Alberta Prosperity Project met with the U.S. State Department multiple times since last April, and the group is seeking funding if a referendum passes.

“It is completely inappropriate to seek to weaken Canada, to seek to go and ask for assistance, to break up this country from a foreign power,” added Eby.

The premier added that he would be raising the issue at Thursday’s meeting.

More to come.

National Post

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