By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette Editor’s Note: Light profanity appears in a direct quotation in this story. A nine-question referendum announced by the premier Thursday charts new territory for direct democracy, as the government looks to define and entrench an Alberta approach for dealing with immigration and Ottawa. The UCP initiative appears to feature the most — and most complex — federal or provincial questions ever asked on a single referendum ballot in the country’s history. The electorate’s participation will help the government shield Albertans from an intrusive Ottawa and its potentially harmful policies, Danielle Smith said during a televised and streamed address. Direct Democracy or Distraction? The Opposition, however, characterized the referendum slated for Oct. 19 as an intentionally confusing misdirection, drawing attention away…
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