Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says much of the frustration driving support for Alberta’s separation from Canada can be solved through federal policy reform instead of independence.
The Tory leader formally launched his own campaign to urge unity during a June 8 speech from a Royal Canadian Legion in Calgary, saying that more resource development, pipeline construction, lower taxes, and greater respect for Alberta’s provincial authority are positive steps forward that will resolve many of the issues leading to support for separation.
“We should not just tell Albertans how bad it would be to have separation. Let’s instead talk about how great it can be if our country is truly united and respectful of Alberta,” Poilievre said, reiterating his party’s longstanding calls to repeal the Impact Assessment Act and oil tanker moratorium on B.C.’s north coast.
“The best news of all: it’s not a zero-sum game. All of these things would make the entire country better off,” he added.
Separation
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced last month that her United Conservative Party government will include a question on separation among a series of referendum questions to be put to Alberta residents on Oct. 19. In the question, she said voters will be asked if the province should stay in Canada or begin the legal process to hold a binding referendum on separation from the country.
Smith has said she and her governing party support Alberta remaining in Canada. However, she said that more than 700,000 citizens signing petitions for and against separation compelled her to include the question in this fall’s referendum.
Smith’s announcement came after the court overturned a citizen-led petition on separation organized by Stay Free Alberta on the grounds that the province had not adequately consulted First Nations prior to allowing the petition drive to proceed.
In his June 8 remarks, Poilievre echoed Smith’s words urging those who oppose separation not to contribute to polarization by demonizing those who support separation.
“Name-calling, fear-mongering, and ostracizing will only worsen and broaden the divide,” Poilievre said. “A better way is to listen, understand, persuade, and address the easily solvable problems they are asking us to fix,” he said.
“Demonizing people who have lost hope in Canada is no way to restore it,” the Conservative leader added.
Unity
In addition to leading the Tories, Poilievre represents the east-central Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot after winning a byelection last year.
He said the Conservative caucus will spend this summer making the case for a united Canada to Albertans and do so by engaging respectfully with those on both sides of the debate.
“Just as I speak to Bloc Québécois members of Parliament every day on Parliament Hill, I will be speaking to Albertans on both sides of this referendum to hear their thoughts and to make the respectful case for Canada,” he said.
The Conservative leader urged Canadians to “lock arms” with Albertans to let them know that it’s possible for a united Canada to be successful and prosperous.
“The answer therefore, for Albertans, is not to pull away from our friends in other provinces, but to lock arms with them to make Canada affordable, safe, self-reliant, and united here at home,” he said, urging non-Albertans to let Albertans know how much they’re appreciated.
“Tell them how much you appreciate and love them. Really listen to them and support their ambitions because our destinies are intertwined,” he said.
Specifically, Poilievre said Alberta should collaborate with other resource-rich provinces like Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador to advocate for federal policy changes that will be more friendly to Alberta’s economy and the oil and gas sector. He urged against dismissing the concerns that have driven separatist sentiment in the province, saying that downplaying such concerns will not be successful in shoring up support to remain in Canada.
“Those who caused the problems in Canada today will tell you to pretend those problems don’t exist, and they will denounce as unpatriotic anyone who speaks honestly about them,” he said.
“Doing that in this referendum would only drive people further away. If you want frustrated Albertans to vote for Canada, the absolute worst thing we can do is dismiss their legitimate grievances and thus signal there’s no hope of fixing them at all.”
Conservative Involvement in Stay Campaign
A number of current and former federal Conservatives are now involved in campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada. This includes current Conservative Alberta MPs and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper along with former Harper cabinet minister and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose Vote to Stay campaign includes former Conservative cabinet minister Monte Solberg and former Alberta Minister of Finance Travis Toews.
Some former Conservative MPs including Jay Hill publicly support a referendum on separation, saying debate on the issue is long overdue.
Meanwhile, former Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, author of the “Forever Canada” petition, says he will be advocating for Alberta to remain in Canada ahead of the fall vote, while Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said his party opposes Alberta separating and says it is necessary to stop separation from occurring in order to “save Canada.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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