Carney’s Alberta Oil Deal Is Fueling Quebec Separatism, Ex-Minister Guilbeault Says

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s move to placate Alberta with an oil pipeline deal is emboldening a resurgent separatist movement in Quebec, warned former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault, who resigned over the agreement last week.

In an interview with Bloomberg’s Akshat Rathi for the Zero podcast airing Friday, Guilbeault said he understands the prime minister is trying to address discontent over federal energy policies that have stoked separatist sentiment in Alberta. But he said the memorandum of understanding that Carney struck with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, which would pause or undo a number of climate policies, will strengthen a much more organized separatist movement in Canada’s French-speaking province.