Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in March issued something between a threat and a prediction: The winner of the federal election will have six months to roll out policies friendly to the energy industry or face an “unprecedented national unity crisis.”…
Ms. Smith is playing up concerns over national unity – a step or two below separatism – because she fears the next federal government will owe its electoral victory to Eastern Canada and Western issues will continue to be ignored, Ms. Brown said.
I fail to understand why Alberta thinks fervently and repeatedly voting for only one party is going to make any other party campaign to them or prioritize them. Trudeau bought Alberta a pipeline, an extremely unpopular thing to do with the rest of the country, and he got zero thanks from Alberta (frankly less than zero). What message does that send to other leaders that taking a hit for Alberta will get you nothing.
Now we have a more fiscally conservative Liberal leader, from Edmonton, with a strong background in economics, and the entire conversation from the province is that he’ll forget about them or have the audacity to use Albertan resources in a trade war, so maybe they should just leave (which let’s be fucking honest, 100% means joining the US – the second Alberta tries to leave they’re getting US boots on their soil like Russia treated Crimea & Ukrain).
In contrast Quebec has their own party that advocates for their needs, but they also swing and vote for federal parties that they support. Parties don’t support Quebec because they’re across the river from Ottawa, they campaign for Quebec because they know doing so will result in seats, all they have to do is address Quebec’s issues. If buying a pipeline for Alberta gains you absolutely nothing, and no matter what the Liberal party does the sheer name evokes complaints from 40 years ago, then there’s no point at all to campaign there. But that’s my opinion.
Personally I think Alberta needs to give Carney a chance and actually listen to him. Alberta needs to also acknowledge that they’re a part of Canada and they’re a part of this trade war.
But also, I’ve never been to Alberta, I don’t know the people or their lives or their thoughts, so I’m happy to learn more about Albertan opinions. I am just finding this whole thing incredibly frustrating, and Danielle Smith comes across as an awful and embarrassing ambassador.
Edit to add:
I guess the part that frustrates me is Alberta could be saying “We’re here to come together with Canada, help us help by developing our resources”, but instead we get a ransom list.
I’ve never lived there but spent some time visiting family and friends that moved out there over the years. In my experience, and generally speaking, they aren’t nearly as fanatical or upset as the politician’s sound. Is there a noticable shift in political leaning as the years go by for them? Yup. Nowhere near enough to cause problems in our relationship though. They are normal people living in a society greatly advantaged by the oil industry so everything that hinders oil eventually hurts everyone there one way or another.
I’m not defending them, but I understand where they’re coming from. IMO they really need to start weening off oil and diversifying their economy because the gravy train WILL end one way or another no matter what they do. Unfortunately, that’s much easier said then done and so it falls on deaf ears hence the stranglehold PCs have over the province.
Marlaina is such a traitorous piece of trash
Watch now.
The price of oil has dropped dramatically thanks to their friend Trump.
They will be piling onto EI, a federal program.
Drink at the trough whenever it is convenient.
So goddamn sick of those Albertans that, when things booming, keep on reminding that the rest of Canada owes them, and when things are busting, threatening to separate if we don’t do what they say. Sick of this petty entitled bullshit.
I care about Quebec separation because I like the Québécois, I don’t care about Alberta separation because I don’t like Albertans
I’m sure Alberta has some nice people but they let the worst part of society do the talking
