Independence would be a fiscal windfall and Alberta would owe no share of the national debt.
Stated by: Alberta Prosperity Project fiscal plan
Summary
Separatist fiscal plans tend to leave out the national debt entirely. International practice is that a successor state takes on an equitable share of the predecessor's general debt, often calculated by GDP or population; analysis of the comparable Quebec case put that at roughly 20 to 22 percent. With Canada holding more bargaining power, Alberta could end up with a larger share, not none. Presenting independence as a clean windfall ignores this liability.
Evidence
A separatist fiscal plan was criticized for making no mention of assuming any part of Canada's roughly $1.3-trillion national debt while projecting a surplus.
The Globe and Mail (myths of Alberta separatism) (opens in a new tab)
Peer-reviewed analysis of secession finds a successor state is expected to take an equitable share of general debt, with a GDP-based estimate for the comparable Quebec case of about 20 to 22 percent.
Canadian Public Policy (Rowland, debt division) (opens in a new tab)
Economist Trevor Tombe's modelling finds an independent Alberta would be poorer, not the windfall separatist budgets describe.