Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew publicly disagreed on the interpretation of the duty to consult Indigenous peoples during a western premiers meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta, on May 26, 2026. Smith argued that a judge erred in a ruling on consultation, asserting it should apply only to major projects and not to citizen-initiated petitions. Kinew directly challenged her, defending the court decision and clarifying that the duty rests with governments, not petition organizers.

Smith's push to limit duty to consult to major projects

According to the report, Smith stated her belief that a judge made a mistake in a ruling concerning the duty to consult Indigenous communities. She argued that the obligation should be restricted to major projects and criticized citizen petitions as an improper extension of the duty. Kinew responded by affirmming his support for the court's ruling, emphasizing that the duty to consult is a government responsibility, not one that falls on petition organizers. He warned that creating a new international border around Alberta would obstruct established treaty rights for Indigenous peoples to hunt and fish.

700,000 signatures, two petitions, and a pipeline pivot

Smith referenced two Alberta separation petitions: "Forever Canadian," with 400,000 validated signatures, and "Stay Free Alberta," with 300,000 signatures that were not validated due to procedural issues. She suggested that, in good faith, the unvalidated signatures should not be counted toward triggering a referendum. smith argued that the combined nearly 700,000 signatures demonstrate Albertans' desire for a national conversation but urged postponing any referendum talk for a year or two,focusing instead on building pipelines and strengthening economic partnerships among western provinces. as the source reported, she promoted collaborative infrastructure projects, specifically pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, noting that Premier Kinew has expressed interest in developing a Churchill pipeline to transport Alberta oil and in pursuing LNG exports, which could generate new revenue for Manitoba and reduce its dependence on equalization payments—currently around $5 billion annually.

Unresolved: appellate process, treaty rights, and the border warning

The dispute leaves several open questions. The appellate process Smith hopes will provide clarity remains undefined, and it is unclear whether any appeal is currently filed or pending.. Kinew's warning that a new border would obstruct Indigenous treaty rights to hunt and fish raises specific legal and constitutional concerns that were not addressed in the meeting. Additionally, the source does not include any comment from Indigenous leaders or organizations directly affected by these discussions. The meeting, captured in a group photo where premiers wore Team Canada soccer jerseys , symbolized a veneer of unity that belied substantive poicy disagreements over federalism, Indigenous rights, and regional economic interests.