Former British prime minister David Cameron said Alberta’s prospective vote on separation from Canada cannot be compared with Brexit, describing the Alberta question as one about a country’s future. He spoke Monday morning at an energy leadership conference in downtown Calgary and largely avoided addressing the Alberta debate directly.

Alberta’s vote toward secession is expected in October. Cameron said it differs from the United Kingdom’s 2016 referendum, which concerned whether the country would remain a member of the European Union, a trade association. Cameron led the U.K. for six years before that vote.

Cameron also discussed Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum. He called the prospect of a fragmented United Kingdom a tragedy, but said not holding the vote would have created resentment and made the situation worse. “I was very nervous about it because if you have a referendum, you can’t guarantee what the results are going to be,” Cameron said Monday at the conference, speaking about the Scottish independence vote.

The source report said more coverage was to come.

Based on reporting by Global News Edmonton.