Unclear or convoluted wording on Alberta’s referendum questions is contributing to indecision amongst Albertans who can participate, a pollster believes. About four per cent of people surveyed by Mario Canseco’s marketing research firm, Research Co., report being undecided about the referendum’s last question about the province potentially separating from Canada, but 15 to 30 per cent of people say they are undecided about the other nine questions about immigration and constitutional reform. Together with CTV Your Morning Edmonton’s Kent Morrison, Canseco took a look at Question #8, the longest on the list at 58 words: Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs? “I think people are … a little bit undecided, not really certain where to go, and it’s part of the confusion that we see with some of the other questions,” Canseco told Morrison. He also pointed out that a word like “intrude” carries a negative connotation. “It essentially says to somebody who’s reading this question, ‘Your government provincially knows more than the federal government because the federal government is intruding,’” Canseco said. All questions except for the one about separation are yes-or-no questions. All 10 questions are phrased so that voters are asked if they “support the government of Alberta” on the raised issue. Canseco said the language was likely also designed to seek an endorsement. “What’s complicated about this, as well, is this isn’t something that the government has decided. They’re looking for the actual permission from respondents to see if they can have an opportunity to talk to the (federal) government or to talk to other willing provinces. So you’re voting on a wish list on a wish list,” he told Morrison. Alberta’s referendum is on Oct. 19. Elections Alberta has said staff will not be available to explain what the referendum questions mean at voting stations. Previously, in response to concerns about the complexity of the referendum questions, the Alberta government has pointed to a website containing extra information on each topic. With files from CTV Your Morning Edmonton’s Kent Morrison
