The case for the Alberta referendum. (And other referendums.)

Most Albertans don't want to leave Canada. Most Canadians don't want to see them go. The data is clear, the separatist wing is a small percentage of the population, and is likely buoyed by foreign influence campaigns. To many Canadians, it seems clear there's no need for a referendum at all—that it only raises a question that millions of people already answer every day; that it's a bad faith attempt to steer the political conversation further right. So, why have it? Because we live in a democracy. A democracy that, like most in the West, is under threat. And you don't solve a democratic credibility problem by holding fewer votes. Today, Concordia University political science professor Donal Gill explains why this fall's vote in Alberta, as messy as it might get, is a healthy sign for Canadian democracy. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].