‘ABC deleted this article in less than 24 hours because it’s false’
Page A217From§Eachthe morning edition — 20 October 2026
Trump's trade war aimed at splitting Canada instead delivers Carney a unity vote
As it ran on the front
Alberta voted Tuesday to stay in Canada, in a referendum Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States was fueling from outside, in the middle of a trade war Washington is running against the same country Alberta just chose to remain part of.
Start four years earlier. On December 8, 2022, Alberta's legislature passed the Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act by a vote of 27 to 7, over the objections of the provincial New Democrats and Indigenous chiefs. The law hands Alberta's cabinet the power to nullify national laws it does not like. It sat on the books through 2023, 2024, 2025, waiting on a fight.…
…(cont) By October 7 of this year, the fight had a date. The BBC was asking what oil-rich Alberta's economy would look like if the province actually broke away — the kind of question newsrooms run right before a vote, not after one. Alberta had scheduled a referendum: stay in Canada, or move toward a binding vote on independence.
Nine days later, on October 16, Carney gave the referendum its stakes. He told Alberta voters the United States wanted Canada split apart, and warned that the vote in front of them would hand Washington exactly that. A prime minister was asking a province that had just armed its own cabinet to defy the federal government to instead defend it, from a trade war arriving from the south.
On October 20, Alberta answered. Voters rejected the move toward independence; the New York Post called the result a win Carney badly needed, and NPR reported early returns backing Canadian unity by a wide margin. The province holding the only referendum of its kind on the books spent it voting to stay.
Nothing here required a conspiracy. A tariff war aimed at a trading partner landed on the one province in that country holding a nullification law and an independence movement on the ballot, and the government in Ottawa pointed at the tariffs and asked the province to pick a side. The province picked Canada. The law built in 2022 waited four years for its fight, and the side that wrote it lost.
The nullification law is still on the books. The trade war did not end when the ballots were counted. What changed Tuesday was leverage, not statute — Carney got a mandate, Alberta kept the weapon, and Washington kept the tariffs that made the weapon look, for one vote, like something nobody in Edmonton wanted to use.
“You put a nullification law on a shelf in 2022 and a tariff gun to Canada's head in 2026, and the result is a province voting to stay — that's not Alberta falling in love with Ottawa, that's Alberta picking the devil it knows over the one taxing it. Carney didn't win hearts, he won by default, and the law that lets Edmonton ignore federal statutes any day it wants is still sitting right there, loaded.”
“This was a province exercising its democratic right, full stop, nothing to do with any tariff policy — the timing is a coincidence, we weren't trying to split anybody, we were just running a trade policy that happens to target the exact country the separatists wanted to leave, which — did I say that? That doesn't sound like me.”
Earlier in this story
- CDC meets six measles deaths in Pennsylvania with one disease detective. By Mort · the morning edition, 17 October 2026
- CDC meets 4,400-case measles outbreak with a plan to send one detective. By Mort · the morning edition, 16 October 2026
- A disease the United States certified gone in 2000 just confirmed a sixth death in Pennsylvania this year. By Mort · the evening edition, 12 October 2026
- The country takes two finished projects back out of service: measles elimination, certified in 2000 and now at 1,004 cases in Pennsylvania, and the decades-old ownership limit, repealed 2-1 the week a coalition invoked it. By Mort · the evening edition, 11 October 2026
The receipts
A coalition of nonprofit groups and labor unions filed an emergency petition on Friday aimed at blocking the Federal Communications Commission's recent repeal of a decades-old rule that limited consolidation among television broadcasters, a move that would allow media conglomerates to seize even more control over local news stations. The…
Albertans vote this month on staying in Canada or moving ahead to a binding independence referendum.
Residents of the province were asked if they wish to remain in Canada or to hold another vote on breaking away, in a referendum that left both sides unhappy.
Voters in Canada's oil-rich Alberta province overwhelmingly backed remaining in Canada, with early referendum results Tuesday delivering a boost to Prime Minister Carney's push for national unity.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Alberta voters to reject a separation referendum, warning that outside forces like the U.S. want to break Canada.
Alberta residents voted to remain part of Canada in the province's first-ever referendum on separation, in a much-needed win for Prime Minister Mark Carney as he attempts to unify the country amid a trade war with the US.
ABC News issued an editor's note admitting errors in its report on Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump's investments tied to Pentagon contracts.
The vote was not a referendum on independence from Canada, but it would have begun a process towards possible separation.
· The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, which grants the cabinet of the Canadian province of Alberta the ability to nullify national laws, passes the Albertan legislature by a party line v from the morgue, 8 Dec 2022
· GOP senator calls for subpoenaing Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden over their business dealings from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Republican senator calls for Don Jr. and Hunter Biden to be subpoenaed over business dealings from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· GOP Sen. John Curtis calls for Trump Jr., Hunter Biden investigations from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Is Trump’s son-in-law and top negotiator a midterm liability for Republicans? from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Companies Backed by Trump Sons Have Scored Over $6 Billion in Pentagon Contracts: Analysis from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· White House Claims in Court Filing That Press Coverage of Trump Is a 'Privilege,' Not a Right from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· 'Dangerous for Democracy': Paramount Merger Opponents File Emergency Motion to Fight Settlement Deal from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Trump-Appointed Judge Orders President to Restore White House Access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· With Elon Musk’s Return to Washington, Possible Conflicts of Interest Resurface from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Hegseth puts the future of warfare in the hands of major Maga donors from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Elon Musk boosts GOP spending advantage with return as 2026 juggernaut from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· An Elon Musk insider shares what he found in Washington — and it should terrify you from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Accord Enshrines Light-Touch Regulation of AI from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump says tech CEOs signed ‘morally binding’ document to self-regulate artificial intelligence from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· READ IN FULL: Trump and tech leaders’ White House Accord on Super Intelligence from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Soaring diesel prices take their toll on US farmers in midwest corn belt from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Inflation Could Soon ‘Get a Lot More Painful’ as Trump’s Iran War Drives Diesel Over $6 a Gallon from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· 'Can't Message That Away': GOP Frets as Trump Administration Desperately Spins Record-High Diesel Prices from the morgue, 5 Sep 2026
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· States take matters into their own hands to curb record-high diesel prices from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Tillis renews calls for Hegseth’s firing after Driscoll’s departure: ‘I have never witnessed more inept management’ from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says "I can't stay in business" amid rising costs from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie says he’s convinced enough Republicans to pass Epstein Files II discharge petition from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie names Epstein 'coconspirators,' discusses new Epstein files legislation from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Read Thomas Massie’s eight impeachment charges against Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Fake Republican midterm convention site still redirects to Epstein files from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them’ from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Fox News Poll: 71% think Trump administration lacks plan to end Iran war from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran recently downed at least 2 American drones, officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Live updates: Energy secretary downplays rising gas prices as US, Iran trade strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· U.S. Strike on Iranian School May Have Been War Crime, U.N. Report Says from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Suspects US War Crimes in Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Condemned for 'War Crimes' After Bombing of Wedding Party in Iran from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· US investigating if missile hit Iranian wedding ceremony, killing 4 from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision coming up’ on Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· White House issues explosive response to UN-backed report claiming US committed war crimes against world’s No.1 sponsor of terror, Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Human rights experts: 'Reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crimes with Iran strikes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Energy Consumers Have Spent $121 Billion Extra Since Trump Launched Iran War: Moody's from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran downed at least 2 American drones in recent days, U.S. officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran: Account of US Air Force colonel's rescue 'fictional' from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Consumer Burden of Trump Iran War Exceeds $100 Billion as Oil Prices Pass $100 a Barrel from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· 'A Serious and Alarming Threat': US Bombing, Blockade Deepen Iran Medical Crisis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Level in Months as US Faces 'Trump's Reckless Tariffs and War With Iran' from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· U.S. Air Force officer rescued from Iran speaks for the first time to 60 Minutes from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Did Johnson Just Adjourn Congress for 7 Weeks to Avoid Massie's Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth? from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· ‘You’re Elected to Fight and Kill the Other Side’: How Congress Lost Its Way from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Army combat veteran challenging Mike Lawler calls Hegseth national security 'hazard,' backs impeachment from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary says he 'couldn't serve' in Trump administration from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· House Republicans split over leaving Washington early for campaign trail from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Fossil Fuel Advertising Contracts Hit Record High as Big Oil Pockets Billions From Iran War from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Trump's Top Oil Stocks Have Made Him Up to $4.4 Million Richer During Iran War: Analysis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Gas prices reach Labor Day high amid Iran war from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Warsh under pressure as Fed weighs rate hike from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Inflation held at 3.4% in August in consumer price index, creating tough choice for Warsh Fed from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.