British Columbia Premier David Eby criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday for giving preferential treatment to provincial leaders he described as separatist [1, 2].

The dispute highlights a growing rift between the federal government and provinces over national unity. Eby said that rewarding leaders who threaten to leave the federation creates a dangerous precedent for Canadian governance.

Speaking during a meeting in Vancouver, Eby said that the federal government should not provide rewards to those seeking to dismantle the country. He specifically targeted the Prime Minister's approach to handling provincial tensions [1, 2].

"Mark Carney is rewarding a premier threatening to separate from Canada," Eby said [1].

Eby said that the current federal strategy prioritizes the demands of those pushing for separation over the stability of the union. He said that Canada cannot work if "separatist premiers" get all of the attention of the federal government [2].

Beyond the criticism of the Prime Minister, Eby addressed the broader issue of provincial autonomy and foreign influence. He described the actions of Alberta separatists seeking assistance from the U.S. as "treason" [3].

The Premier's comments come amid escalating friction between British Columbia and other provinces over federal resource allocation, and political alignment. Eby said that the federal government's willingness to negotiate with separatist-leaning leaders undermines the collective strength of the provinces [1, 2].

“"Mark Carney is rewarding a premier threatening to separate from Canada."”

This confrontation signals a shift in intergovernmental relations, where provincial leaders are now publicly accusing the Prime Minister of incentivizing regional instability. By labeling foreign outreach as treason and federal diplomacy as a reward for separatism, Eby is positioning British Columbia as a defender of federalism to pressure Ottawa into a more rigid stance against separatist rhetoric.