Talk of separation is hurting Alberta. Why won’t Danielle Smith denounce it?
Gary Mason
[url]https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-talk-of-separation-is-hurting-alberta-why-wont-danielle-smith-denounce/[/url]
Instead of denouncing talk of separation, Premier Danielle Smith has used her pulpit to denounce Ottawa at every turn
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce recently surveyed its members on the subject of Alberta separation – specifically, whether the continuing public debate around the topic was affecting business.
The answer was a resounding yes.
Released earlier this week, the survey found 28 per cent of respondents said talk about Alberta separating from Canada was affecting their business, and 88 per cent of those said the effects were negative. Meantime, 51 per cent said separation talk was affecting the provincial economy, with 93 per cent of those saying it was affecting it negatively.
Perhaps most notably, when asked to rank the biggest issues the province’s economy was facing, a majority ranked talk of separation as No. 1, ahead of U.S. tariffs and the construction of new pipelines.
And, really, how could it not be hurting potential investment? Why would anyone with a brain consider plopping down potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in the province without the absolute certainty of a stable investment environment? If Alberta were to separate it would be an economic disaster for the suddenly landlocked province.
Amid a wave of Canada-wide unity, Alberta separatists push back
Given that, you would think Premier Danielle Smith would be doing more to tamp down the separation discussion.Or that during her recent province-wide television address, for instance, she would have used the opportunity to spell out what an utter economic debacle separation would be for Alberta. One might have expected the Premier to denounce those who are agitating to leave as being delusional about the benefits they suggest would flow from the province going it alone. But no. She couldn’t. Because many of the pro-separatists agitating to leave Canada form an influential flank of her United Conservative Party. She would admonish them at her peril.
So instead, she has used her pulpit to denounce Ottawa at every turn. She continues to suggest her province is getting a raw deal in Confederation, getting ripped off more than any province in the country. Yet bizarrely, when she was recently asked by reporters if she would be campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada, the Premier said she has been, “from day one.”
That would almost certainly be news to many people living in the province. Abacus Data recently asked Albertans how they thought Ms. Smith would vote on the question of whether the province should remain in Canada or not. A majority, 53 per cent, said they thought she’d vote to separate ([url]https://abacusdata.ca/alberta-independence-remains-a-minority-view-most-believe-premier-smith-would-vote-to-separate/[/url]). Another 18 per cent said they were unsure. Only 29 per cent thought she’d vote to remain.
That’s pretty damning. No, that’s very damning.
Former Alberta cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszuk, who last year launched a “Forever Canadian” campaign to counter the Alberta separatists, says Ms. Smith has done nothing but help the separatist cause. He says she has made it easier for the separatists to obtain the required number of signatures to get a question on leaving Canada on a referendum ballot. Her government also bypassed a decision by the courts that the question the separatists planned to pose to Albertans was unconstitutional.
Alberta separation canvassers need 177,732 signatures by May 2 to get a question put to a referendum. Ms. Smith has said the vote could come as soon as October.
Thankfully, some people are dusting off stories about what happened in Quebec in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to constant talk of separation.
Prior to that debate (and eventually, referendums), Montreal had been the financial capital of the country. But all the uncertainty created by separation talk took care of that. It wasn’t long before Toronto assumed that mantle. Thousands of people left Montreal for a more stable environment elsewhere. Real estate markets were volatile. Hundreds of businesses closed shop.
Ironically, one of the biggest anti-separation voices in the land currently is former Alberta premier Jason Kenney. He doesn’t pass up a chance to passionately articulate just how insane talk of separation is. I say ironic because Mr. Kenney, when he was in the Premier’s office, was one of the biggest bashers of the federal government that there was. He unquestionably helped stir separatist sentiment during his time in office. To some extent, Ms. Smith has just been singing from the anti-Ottawa song sheet her predecessor left behind.
Alberta’s biggest economic priority right now is finding a proponent willing to pony up the tens of billions of dollars to build a new pipeline to tidewater. It’s difficult imagining anyone making that move amid the separatist uncertainty that exists in Alberta at the moment.
The sooner this question is resolved, the better – not only for Alberta, but for the country. With polls showing a vast majority of Albertans opposed to separation, it’s time Ms. Smith forcefully condemned those trying to destroy Canada with their nave and foolish campaign.
?
Gary Mason
[url]https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-talk-of-separation-is-hurting-alberta-why-wont-danielle-smith-denounce/[/url]
Instead of denouncing talk of separation, Premier Danielle Smith has used her pulpit to denounce Ottawa at every turn
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce recently surveyed its members on the subject of Alberta separation – specifically, whether the continuing public debate around the topic was affecting business.
The answer was a resounding yes.
Released earlier this week, the survey found 28 per cent of respondents said talk about Alberta separating from Canada was affecting their business, and 88 per cent of those said the effects were negative. Meantime, 51 per cent said separation talk was affecting the provincial economy, with 93 per cent of those saying it was affecting it negatively.
Perhaps most notably, when asked to rank the biggest issues the province’s economy was facing, a majority ranked talk of separation as No. 1, ahead of U.S. tariffs and the construction of new pipelines.
And, really, how could it not be hurting potential investment? Why would anyone with a brain consider plopping down potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in the province without the absolute certainty of a stable investment environment? If Alberta were to separate it would be an economic disaster for the suddenly landlocked province.
Amid a wave of Canada-wide unity, Alberta separatists push back
Given that, you would think Premier Danielle Smith would be doing more to tamp down the separation discussion.Or that during her recent province-wide television address, for instance, she would have used the opportunity to spell out what an utter economic debacle separation would be for Alberta. One might have expected the Premier to denounce those who are agitating to leave as being delusional about the benefits they suggest would flow from the province going it alone. But no. She couldn’t. Because many of the pro-separatists agitating to leave Canada form an influential flank of her United Conservative Party. She would admonish them at her peril.
So instead, she has used her pulpit to denounce Ottawa at every turn. She continues to suggest her province is getting a raw deal in Confederation, getting ripped off more than any province in the country. Yet bizarrely, when she was recently asked by reporters if she would be campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada, the Premier said she has been, “from day one.”
That would almost certainly be news to many people living in the province. Abacus Data recently asked Albertans how they thought Ms. Smith would vote on the question of whether the province should remain in Canada or not. A majority, 53 per cent, said they thought she’d vote to separate ([url]https://abacusdata.ca/alberta-independence-remains-a-minority-view-most-believe-premier-smith-would-vote-to-separate/[/url]). Another 18 per cent said they were unsure. Only 29 per cent thought she’d vote to remain.
That’s pretty damning. No, that’s very damning.
Former Alberta cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszuk, who last year launched a “Forever Canadian” campaign to counter the Alberta separatists, says Ms. Smith has done nothing but help the separatist cause. He says she has made it easier for the separatists to obtain the required number of signatures to get a question on leaving Canada on a referendum ballot. Her government also bypassed a decision by the courts that the question the separatists planned to pose to Albertans was unconstitutional.
Alberta separation canvassers need 177,732 signatures by May 2 to get a question put to a referendum. Ms. Smith has said the vote could come as soon as October.
Thankfully, some people are dusting off stories about what happened in Quebec in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to constant talk of separation.
Prior to that debate (and eventually, referendums), Montreal had been the financial capital of the country. But all the uncertainty created by separation talk took care of that. It wasn’t long before Toronto assumed that mantle. Thousands of people left Montreal for a more stable environment elsewhere. Real estate markets were volatile. Hundreds of businesses closed shop.
Ironically, one of the biggest anti-separation voices in the land currently is former Alberta premier Jason Kenney. He doesn’t pass up a chance to passionately articulate just how insane talk of separation is. I say ironic because Mr. Kenney, when he was in the Premier’s office, was one of the biggest bashers of the federal government that there was. He unquestionably helped stir separatist sentiment during his time in office. To some extent, Ms. Smith has just been singing from the anti-Ottawa song sheet her predecessor left behind.
Alberta’s biggest economic priority right now is finding a proponent willing to pony up the tens of billions of dollars to build a new pipeline to tidewater. It’s difficult imagining anyone making that move amid the separatist uncertainty that exists in Alberta at the moment.
The sooner this question is resolved, the better – not only for Alberta, but for the country. With polls showing a vast majority of Albertans opposed to separation, it’s time Ms. Smith forcefully condemned those trying to destroy Canada with their nave and foolish campaign.
?
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