I find it pretty transparent what is happening here. Smith wants the separatist referendum to happen in the fall. She didn't announce that, but it's a given. By starting with this, if the petition fails, she can say "well I know it didn't get enough signatures to meet the requirement, but we think it's a question worth asking anyway since we are already having these other referendums, we are going to ask it." If the petition succeeds, and either way, these questions really help drive their base to the voter booths. This was just baiting the cage.
It is also very Trumpian, in that it will be a massive distraction all summer and fall, that she can hide her failures behind, and continue to dismantle healthcare. The stories of people dying in hallways will be quickly buried by another tweet by Bruce The Bigot of 'Berta. It should be no surprise they use all the same manipulative tactics the American right has embraced with such success.
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