Smith, Carney say Trump team must respect Canadian sovereigntyBy Canadian Press on January 29, 2026. Share this story:OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith both said Thursday the United States needs to respect Canadian sovereignty following reports that leaders of the Alberta separatist movement met with American government officials seeking their support. Pressed to describe how they viewed those meetings, Smith and Carney did not call them treasonous. “I would expect that the U.S. administration would respect Canadian sovereignty and that they would confine their discussion about Alberta’s democratic process to Albertans and to Canadians,” Smith said. The Alberta independence movement is collecting signatures in an attempt to initiate a referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.