https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-with-a-separation-vote-potentially-looming-we-have-two-years-to-fix-albertas-future

Smith: With a separation vote potentially looming, we have two years to fix Alberta's future

Author of the article: Danielle Smith Publishing date:Feb 05, 2021 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes dropped a bomb earlier this week when he said he wants to see a referendum on separation timed with the provincial election in 2023.

However you would vote on the question of Alberta independence, it’s a smart strategy to raise it now.

First, there are two ways it can get on the ballot. The premier can decide to put it there, though as an avowed federalist I doubt he will. But the province is coming forward with citizen-initiated referendum legislation this spring. That means, depending on the rules, if enough Albertans sign a petition saying they want to vote on the question of whether Alberta remains in Canada, then the people will have the power to force the question. From the regular feedback I get, there is enough anger to get the required number of signatures for a vote.

Second, for those who dismiss the seriousness of the sovereignty movement, I’ll address the prime objection. The premier has noted we would be just as landlocked after voting to leave as we are now, so there is nothing to be gained. He may be wrong.

Take a look at Switzerland. It’s landlocked and it’s seen no reason to join the European Union. Why is that? One reason is an international treaty called the Right of Access of Landlocked Nations to and From the Sea. It states that an independent nation can’t be barred from getting goods to market. So, ironically, Alberta may have more leverage to build a pipeline to the West Coast or the Gulf Coast as a separate country than we do as a province within Canada. Being landlocked is not the barrier that some may think.

But would Albertans vote to leave?

As disappointing as U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision on Keystone XL was, the bigger disappointment was the collective shrug from the rest of the country over its rejection.

When the softwood lumber dispute impacted British Columbia, I thought Canada should try to resolve it. When steel and aluminum tariffs hit plants in Quebec, it was entirely appropriate for it to be a priority for Canada. When Unifor’s Jerry Dias finally got a deal to repurpose an auto manufacturing plant to produce electric cars and save jobs in Ontario, I thought that’s a guy we need on our side fighting for pipelines.

But when Keystone XL was scuttled, Angus Reid polled Canadians on what they wanted the federal government to do. Our dear friends in B.C. (59 per cent), Ontario (62 per cent) and Quebec (74 per cent) felt we should just suck it up and move on. Less than a week after the cancellation, the majority of folks were saying the prime minister should “accept Biden’s decision on Keystone XL and focus on other Canada-U.S. priorities.” In other words, their priorities. As if it were impossible to do both.

Moreover, two-thirds of Canadians knew it was a bad decision for Alberta, but they wanted the government to drop it anyway. That’s as clear an indication as any about how our country works. It’s every person and province for themselves.

I spoke with Germain Belzile from the Montreal Economic Institute to understand why Quebecers, disproportionately, wanted the federal government to abandon the effort to get a reversal. He was fairly pragmatic: it doesn’t impact Quebecers so they don’t really care. His parting words of advice were that maybe Alberta should start thinking more about how to take care of Alberta.

The next provincial election is more than two years away, so that means we should spend the next two years having dinner table (or Zoom?) conversations about the benefits of remaining in Canada versus the benefits of going alone. It means we have two years to have the federal government address our grievances. It means we have two years to direct our provincial government to start building the capacity to be able to stand on its own two feet if need be, by collecting all its own taxes, for instance.

I don’t think most Albertans want to leave Canada. But I don’t think we can continue to put up with this level of apathy from the rest of the country either. Barnes has started the clock. We’ve got two years to solve this.

Danielle Smith is a radio host on 770 CHQR. She can be reached at [email protected].