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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Ted Morton Calgary Seperatist

Not satisfied with promoting Alberta Seperatism with his Firewall Alberta letter, PC leadership candidate, the Reform Republican, Ted Morton is now embracing the politics of two solitudes. If elected Alberta will have two capitals. One in Calgary and one in Edmonton.

"The future of Alberta in the coming decades is northern Alberta and Edmonton is the capital of northern Alberta,"
Morton told reporters yesterday at his Kingsway Avenue campaign office.

After all as wise Ted knows Redmonton is different from Houston North as night and day. And the logical conclusion of his seperatist politics is not only Firewall Alberta but Firewall Calgary.

Or as cheeky Edmonton Journal city hall columnist Scott McKeen opines;

Edmonton's to-do list, if Ted Morton becomes Alberta's next premier and the rebel south storms the legislature.
- Establish firewall around Edmonton. Like, a real firewall. Circle the barbecues, people.
- Ask Ottawa to declare Edmonton a nation, too

If all else fails: Run for your lives.
Or we could just try to relax. Because no matter what you hear this week, Ted Morton is not the devil. He is not Dick Cheney's evil twin. His election, if it happens, won't signal the coming of the apocalypse.
A Morton victory will, however, be a kind of prophecy realized.
The Klein Tories always had a southern, country bias. Morton's election will only clarify the Tory party's neocon, rural bent.

See:

Ted Morton

Alberta Seperatism

Conservative Leadership Race

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Ted Morton, Alberta, Dinning, Stelmach, Edmonton, Redmonton, Capital, North, Calgary, Alberta seperatism, seperatist, firewall, politics, PC, Alberta PC Leadership Race, Reform Party, Premier

Thursday, July 14, 2022

FIREWALL ALBERTA

What the spectre of Alberta separatism means for Canada

In October, members of Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party (UCP) will elect a new leader who will then become Alberta’s next premier.

Lisa Young, Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary, University of Calgary \and Jared Wesley, Professor, Political Science, University of Alberta -

Edmonton demonstrators gather to protest against COVID-19 measures and support the 'freedom convoy' in February 2022. Research suggests Alberta separatist sentiments have as much to do with antipathy about the federal government and Justin Trudeau as actually leaving Confederation.

A defining issue in this leadership race is Alberta’s place in Canadian Confederation, with several contenders openly discussing “sovereignty,” “autonomy” and even “independence.”

Are Albertans really so keen to sever ties with the rest of Canada? Should Canadians pay much attention to the separatist movement in Alberta? To answer these questions, we looked at data from the recent Viewpoint Alberta survey.

An infographic that shows the key findings of the Viewpoint Alberta survey.

Separatism and the economy

Support for separation remains a minority view in the province, with one in five believing Alberta “should separate from Canada and form an independent country.”

This is a small base from which to build a province-wide following. Yet separatists make up one-third of UCP voters — a sizeable constituency for would-be leaders to court.

© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshBrian Jean is among those vying to replace outgoing Premier Jason Kenney. His campaign slogan is ‘Autonomy for Albertans.’

What motivates these Albertans to take such a drastic position?

Unlike sovereigntists in Québec motivated by a desire to protect their culture, we find Alberta separatists are preoccupied with fiscal and economic issues.

According to our research, Alberta’s separatist movement is also grounded more in party politics than it is in nationalism.

Separatists place themselves further to the right than other Albertans. They are more likely to support conservative political parties both federally and provincially. And they strongly dislike the federal government and Justin Trudeau.
How committed are Alberta separatists?

In our analysis, we found two clues that suggest support for separatism is less a heartfelt desire to form a new country and more a tactical expression of grievances.

The first is that most Albertans – including the separatists themselves – think separation is unlikely. Barely one in 10 separatists think Alberta independence is “very likely” or “will happen.”

The second clue is that the majority of the separatists (62 per cent) retain a sense of attachment to Canada. Separatists are simply angrier and more pessimistic about the country’s future.

Related video: 'Free Alberta Strategy' seeks to declare Alberta a sovereign jurisdiction

They haven’t turned their backs entirely on Canada; they feel it’s headed in the wrong direction and in need of radical reform.

THEY WANT IT TO BE AMERICAN, REPUBLICAN AMERICA

© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshPremier Jason Kenney serves pancakes at his last Stampede breakfast in Calgary on July 11. Kenney’s resignation set the stage for a United Conservative Party leadership race and several contenders are already discussing Alberta sovereignty.
Pessimism and mistrust

Most separatists’ worldviews are grounded in a sense of status loss and mistrust for institutions that has fuelled populist movements elsewhere in the world.

They are more likely to feel like they are falling behind others in society, and they have very little confidence in governments and elites. These suspicions drew most separatists into supporting the so-called freedom convoy that occupied Ottawa for weeks in February 2022.

Read more: What the truck? The 'freedom convoy' protesters are heading back to Ottawa

Separatists stood out in their belief that the most recent federal election was unfair. This may be because their favoured party lost despite winning more votes, or a belief in conspiracy theories spread by right-wing news outlets.

Whatever the reason, this low level of trust — combined with a deep sense of pessimism about the future — has sparked movements like Brexit and Trumpism in other parts of the world.

Separatism in Alberta

While support for separation is a minority view in Alberta, it’s not a fringe position. An overwhelming majority of separatists support the UCP provincially and make up a substantial part of its base of support.

EXCEPT THEY HAVE BEEN IN POWER IN ALBERTA FOR 44 YEARS AS THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES, AND AS RIGHT WING BIBLE BELT SOCIAL CREDIT FOR 75 YEARS BEFORE THAT

Danielle Smith, Wildrose leader in this 2014 photo, is now a leadership contender to replace Jason Kenney.

Such a large voting bloc is enticing to leadership contenders. Veiled promises to restore Alberta’s “sovereignty” or secure greater “autonomy” can help sell party memberships. They may even lead to victory in the UCP race, creating pressure for the winner to deliver on promises that are politically and constitutionally impossible.

But our research tells us that flirting with separatism is likely to fall flat — if not backfire entirely — during a provincial election.

The broader Alberta electorate is federalist. The majority do not support measures that would further divide the province from Canada.

Eighty per cent of Albertans reject separation, and solid majorities also oppose abandoning the Canada Pension Plan, the RCMP and federal income tax collection. Most opposed the “freedom convoy” and what it stood for, and the majority have confidence in most political institutions.

Candidates running for the UCP leadership have a choice. They can pay lip service to populist and sovereigntist positions to gain internal party support. Or they can resist that temptation with an eye to winning the next provincial election, preserving national unity and strengthening democratic institutions in the process.

Implications for Canada

Canadians outside Alberta should keep a careful eye on this dynamic. Even though they lack the profile of Québec sovereigntists, Alberta separatists are positioned to exert significant political influence on intergovernmental relations in the years to come.

How much influence depends on the commitments made by the eventual winner of the UCP leadership race, and the response from the rest of Canada to their push for a fairer deal in Confederation.

If the next premier is unable to deliver on their promises by securing meaningful concessions from the rest of Canada, separatists would be further alienated from the democratic process. Their disappointment might lead to further civil unrest like what we saw from the “freedom convoy,” adding fuel to the politics of resentment.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:
Protests in Ottawa are a recurring disaster, affecting neighbourhoods and residents
Alberta budget means Albertans are trapped on a relentless fiscal rollercoaster ride

Jared Wesley receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Kule Institute for Advanced Study, and the Killam Trust.

Lisa Young does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

SEE

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2019/06/i-am-reposting-this-due-to-fact-old.html

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for FIREWALL ALBERTA

THE PHANTASM OF ALBERTA SEPARATISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD WITH UCP

Friday, December 30, 2005

Alberta Seperatism Not Quite Stamped Out

Well that didn't take long. Starting with Bouquets of Grey documenting Edmonton East Conservative Campaign Manager Gordon Stamp, a perennial right wing figure here in Redmonton, being an Alberta Seperatiste and saying stupid things in online forums and now he is gone.

And Bouquets got some help from the rest of us in the blogosphere passing on our two bits worth, including yours truly, it got picked up by Paul Wells at Macleans and he forwarded it to Conservative Candidate Peter Goldring and voila Resignation tendered and accepted. Wow faster than you can say Liberal Blog, gotta hand it to Goldring he didn't give Gord his stamp of approval for his off the wall comments. Not like the Liberal spokesman did for Klander.

But true to form some folks think this is censorship and unfair to the Alberta Seperatiste faction of the Blogging Tory's. Such as Candace another Redmontonian whose blog WakingUpOnPlanetX supports Alberta Seperatism is very very upset about this. She equates Alberta Sepratism with the PQ and BQ in Quebec.

So here is a history lesson for Candace, of course its a left wing history lesson, so no apologies for that.

Alberta Seperatism is at its core an anti-semitic, racist, white power movement.
It is not the equivalent of the PQ or Quebec. It is not founded in the radical tradition of prairie populism of the Reil Rebellion contrary to the disingenous statements of Link Byfield. It is based in the right wing of the old Social Credit party and its links to the fascist movement in Canada.

It originates in Alberta not in the dirty thirties but the early 1980's in the last days of the Lougheed government, with the Western Canada Concept (WCC) of rightwhingnut lawyer and defender of fascists Doug Christie. The WCC won a seat in a red neck rural riding, and had an MLA in the Alberta Legislature giving them some political credibility, some, enough for Lougheed to use them as a whipping boy against Ottawa. Which Ralph Klein continues to do today. Any time things got a little outta hand between the Liberals in Ottawa and the Alberta Government the bugaboo of Alberta Seperatism would be raised. Clever ploy that.

The reality is that during the 1980's two major right wing populist parties began in Alberta, both anti-semitic, white power, anti-biligualism, pro religious fundamentalist, pro Celtic Saxon peoples (code for White Power) anti immigrant anti multiculturalism, today add anti-gay. These were the WCC and Elmer Knutsens Confederation of Regions Party. The CRP did not win seats in Alberta but in New Brunswick, as a right wing backlash to that provinces French majority.
Ironic eh.

Members, followers and fellow travelers of these parties, also belonged to farther right groups as well as the Reform Party of Canada when it was formed. By then their rump right wing parties disappeared. Some went on in Alberta to form splinter right wing parties like the revived Social Credit, the Alberta Alliance, the Alberta Seperatist party. But most saw Preston Mannings Reform Party as a big tent right wing party, and joined or promoted it.

The infamous voice of the right in Alberta, and Canada, the Alberta Report promoted Alberta Seperatism and the Reform party in its pages. It also supported right wing religious fundamentalism (either protestant or Catholic or Orthordox), anti abortion, anti-gay rights, anti-feminism, anti-daycare. The Byfield clan who ran the magazine as their personal empire, were also directly politically involved in these campaigns.

Today Alberta Report is no more, run into the ground by the Byfields, not once, not twice but thrice. The final death agony of the magazine is a story to behold, but suffice it to say the monies squirreled away that survived the bankruptcy went to creating a new Alberta Seperatist Foundation, run by Link Byfield and with Stalinist aplomb is called;Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy.

It is of course nothing of the sort. It is a front group for right wing lobbying and Alberta Seperatism. Lets us hoist Link by his own petard, by letting him speak for himself as the CCFD. Oh by the way when someone says that they are neither left wing nor right wing, or somehow they want to be politically neutral, they ain't. They are right wing. Thats another clever ruse they use to appear non partisan.

The CITIZENS CENTRE IS NEITHER "RIGHT-WING" NOR "LEFT-WING"

Our mission is to promote responsible government in Canada by advocating honest government, a clear division of power between the federal and provincial governments, and a democratic counterbalance to the increasing power of the courts.

GOALS of the Citizens Centre

To persuade provincial governments to exert their full constitutional leverage in such areas as the Canada Pension Plan, medicare, provincial police, tax collection, gun registration, carbon emissions, urban affairs, environment and grain marketing.

To create demand in Canada for privately-paid medical treatments and regulated private alternatives to the national pension plan, as is found increasingly in all developed countries.

To create pressure for a meaningful reduction in federal fiscal transfers (both direct and indirect), and a permanent reduction in government share of GDP.

* *Ottawa forced its way into the provincial sphere of social and economic development, mainly by abusing its unlimited power to tax and spend, even in areas that are beyond its jurisdiction. Some provinces, notably Alberta and Quebec, resisted. However, Quebec was bought off and Alberta was looted. Alberta's net contribution to federal programs since 1961 is now over $200 billion.

The consequences of allowing Ottawa to negate the original scheme of Confederation have been bad for the whole country, not just Alberta.

It has created costly jurisdictional overlap, political confusion, high taxes, needless eastern dependency and western alienation, and a political culture that no longer understands the principle, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Instead we are constantly told that social entitlements like "free" medicare and unemployment insurance represent the core values of Canadians.

And what is the main political issue that they believe will enhance democracy in Canada? Proportional Representation? Electoral Reform? Parlimentary Reform? Nah......They want Refederation!

To understand what refederation entails, one has to appreciate the fact that Canada is now not only badly governed but also over-governed. Governments at all levels are too big, and they get in each other's way.

For more than a century now, various reform movements have arisen in Canada, particularly in the West, aimed at fixing the problem. They called for more accountability, less interference by Ottawa in local affairs and more equitable economic policies. In short, better government.

But from the time of Louis Riel, through the great Prairie farmers' movements, and up to the Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, the demand for fundamental change has gone largely unanswered. Canada is still dominated by institutions that are out of date, out of step and out of touch.

Marriage Referendum

A fundamental change to the legal meaning of marriage amounts to a constitutional change of great magnitude and importance. Nobody can honestly deny this.

As the Supreme Court acknowledged in December 2003, it affects both levels of government, private and public organizations across Canada, and individual Canadians.

So who should decide the answer?

There are three possible authorities: the courts, Parliament, or the people.

The Citizens Centre believes that the constitution belongs to the people and therefore the people should have the ultimate authority on this issue.

So they want a national referendum on Marriage. And they want to privatize medicare, EI, pension plans, etc. They want a seperate pension fund for Alberta, and its own police. They are following through on Harpers original Firewall Alberta idea. Which once again in their Orwellian speak Link declares is NOT a Firewall nor are they promoting Alberta Seperatism. Talk about convoluted logic.

And the reason? Cause Canada is too liberal for them . No not Liberal, small 'l' liberal, as in libertarian, freedom of choice, freedom of the individual , freedom for gays, immigrants etc.

Now they will talk freedom and freedom of choice but in their Orwellian logic it is exactly the opposite. They want the freedom to be the Christian majority, with their country (seperate Alberta) being a fundamentalist Christian Theocracy at worst, or scratch the surface of Alberta Seperatism, and you find something worse, White Power bigots.

Yep so Candace there you have it. Why Alberta Seperatism is nothing like the Quebec Nationalist movement. It is a modern fascist movement. And if you want to participate in it fine, but lets call a spade a shovel, and you are shoveling B.S. when you promote Alberta Seperatism.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

I AM REPOSTING THIS DUE TO THE FACT THE OLD SHIBBOLETH OF ALBERTA SEPARATISM HAS RAISED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN WITH THE ELECTION OF UCP
UCP IS THE RESULT OF THESE PAST PARTIES MERGING INTO ONE AFTER THE ELECTION OF THE NDP GOVERNMENT IN 2015

Friday, December 30, 2005

Alberta Seperatism Not Quite Stamped Out

The CITIZENS CENTRE IS NEITHER "RIGHT-WING" NOR "LEFT-WING"

Our mission is to promote responsible government in Canada by advocating honest government, a clear division of power between the federal and provincial governments, and a democratic counterbalance to the increasing power of the courts.

GOALS of the Citizens Centre

To persuade provincial governments to exert their full constitutional leverage in such areas as the Canada Pension Plan, medicare, provincial police, tax collection, gun registration, carbon emissions, urban affairs, environment and grain marketing.

To create demand in Canada for privately-paid medical treatments and regulated private alternatives to the national pension plan, as is found increasingly in all developed countries.

To create pressure for a meaningful reduction in federal fiscal transfers (both direct and indirect), and a permanent reduction in government share of GDP.

* *Ottawa forced its way into the provincial sphere of social and economic development, mainly by abusing its unlimited power to tax and spend, even in areas that are beyond its jurisdiction. Some provinces, notably Alberta and Quebec, resisted. However, Quebec was bought off and Alberta was looted. Alberta's net contribution to federal programs since 1961 is now over $200 billion.

The consequences of allowing Ottawa to negate the original scheme of Confederation have been bad for the whole country, not just Alberta.

It has created costly jurisdictional overlap, political confusion, high taxes, needless eastern dependency and western alienation, and a political culture that no longer understands the principle, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Instead we are constantly told that social entitlements like "free" medicare and unemployment insurance represent the core values of Canadians.

And what is the main political issue that they believe will enhance democracy in Canada? Proportional Representation? Electoral Reform? Parlimentary Reform? Nah......They want Refederation!

To understand what refederation entails, one has to appreciate the fact that Canada is now not only badly governed but also over-governed. Governments at all levels are too big, and they get in each other's way.

For more than a century now, various reform movements have arisen in Canada, particularly in the West, aimed at fixing the problem. They called for more accountability, less interference by Ottawa in local affairs and more equitable economic policies. In short, better government.

But from the time of Louis Riel, through the great Prairie farmers' movements, and up to the Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, the demand for fundamental change has gone largely unanswered. Canada is still dominated by institutions that are out of date, out of step and out of touch.

Marriage Referendum

A fundamental change to the legal meaning of marriage amounts to a constitutional change of great magnitude and importance. Nobody can honestly deny this.

As the Supreme Court acknowledged in December 2003, it affects both levels of government, private and public organizations across Canada, and individual Canadians.

So who should decide the answer?

There are three possible authorities: the courts, Parliament, or the people.

The Citizens Centre believes that the constitution belongs to the people and therefore the people should have the ultimate authority on this issue.

Sunday, October 03, 2021

ANOTHER STUPID FIREWALL ALBERTA

Braid: Group with MLA backing wants Alberta to flout federal laws, claim sovereignty

Many will dismiss yet another angry SOUTHERN Alberta group as absurd and irrelevant. NOPE JUST MORE OF THE SAME

I never do, having witnessed the incandescent fury of earlier Alberta-first causes LIKE THE WESTERN CANADA CONCEPT

Author of the article:Don Braid • Calgary Herald
Publishing date:Sep 28, 2021 •

Rob Anderson, former Wildrose MLA, on November 26, 2014.

PHOTO BY RYAN JACKSON /Edmonton Journal

Alberta should be a “sovereign” province within Canada, says Rob Anderson, former Airdrie MLA and Wildrose original.

Without such action the province will soon be both “a have-not and a has-been,” Anderson said Tuesday, as he and others launched what they call the “Free Alberta Strategy.”

The timing is odd for a call to declare federal laws invalid in Alberta if they conflict with provincial rights.

Aren’t we the province that needs pandemic help from other provinces, and even military aid from Ottawa?

Anderson says that’s the way Canada is supposed to work — a rare example — and Alberta would continue to be a good citizen within Canada, while being sovereign within its borders.

The group wants passage of the “Alberta Sovereignty Act, granting the Alberta Legislature absolute discretion to refuse any provincial enforcement of federal legislation or judicial decisions that, in its view, interfere with provincial areas of jurisdiction or constitute an attack on the interests of Albertans.”

If Ottawa cried foul, the group says, so what? The new Alberta police force would simply be directed to ignore enforcement of federal actions.

Maybe there would be a constitutional crisis, Anderson adds, but Canada needs a hot one from time to time.

Many will dismiss yet another angry Alberta group as absurd and irrelevant. I never do, having witnessed the incandescent fury of earlier Alberta-first causes.

This feeling could rise again powerfully when the pandemic finally eases and we survey the economic and social damage.

But on Free Alberta’s first day in the open, there was an odd twist. It seemed on the surface to be as much anti-Kenney as anti-Ottawa.

Notably, UCP MLAs Angela Pitt and Jason Stephan were there to fully back the project.

Pitt is the deputy legislature Speaker who has often clashed with Premier Jason Kenney, and Red Deer MLA Stephan was demoted from Treasury Board for travelling last Christmas.

Lingering in some invisible corner of Zoom, without speaking, was legislature Speaker Nathan Cooper, said to be an “interested observer.”

He signed a letter against government COVID-19 policy and later had to apologize, because Speakers don’t generally do that.

Also appearing were Independent MLAs who were ejected from Premier Jason Kenney’s caucus — Todd Loewen from Grande Prairie and Medicine Hat’s Drew Barnes, an eternal pebble in Kenney’s shoe.

Are these folks trying to raise a challenger to Kenney’s leadership? With a vote on his performance coming in spring, we are entitled to wonder.

Speaker of the House Nathan Cooper takes part in the first session of the 30th Alberta Legislature, in Edmonton Wednesday, May 22, 2019. PHOTO BY DAVID BLOOM

The group will certainly support the vote to abolish equalization, which will appear on Alberta’s civic ballot Oct. 18.

There are doubts about whether it will pass, though — this is a referendum on abolition of equalization right across Canada, not a demand to improve the program for Alberta.

But it’s a passing matter to Free Alberta types. Sovereignty is their goal.

And “sovereign” is an intentionally loaded word. It was the essence of two Quebec referendums, both of which failed.

But in recent years Quebec has slowly assumed many powers without objection from Ottawa.

The classic was passage by the National Assembly of a resolution asserting Quebec’s absolute power to reject pipelines crossing its territory.

Although such a motion is clearly unconstitutional, Ottawa didn’t say a word.

Anderson hates that Quebec motion but sees the tactic as a great example for Alberta.

“This is about the right and the power to govern yourself,” he says. “The ultimate sovereign power in the province of Alberta is going to be, under this strategy, the legislature — much like the National Assembly in Quebec.

“What we’re proposing is really not much different than what Quebec has done . . . Ottawa can pass whatever bills they want but if what Ottawa passes is not in line with what the government of Alberta says on the subject,” then the legislature would be supreme.

Many Albertans will like this plan. Federal leaders should not ignore it.

They need to offer real solutions for a province that is expected to wind down its major industry. So far, damn all.

Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Herald

Friday, August 06, 2021

#VOTENO TO FIREWALL ALBERTA 2.0
Province finalizes referendum questions

EQUALIZATION SAVED ALBERTA DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Albertans will not only be voting for their municipal leaders on Oct. 18, but also for Senate nominees, whether equalization payments should be removed from the Constitution, and whether to abolish changing clocks twice a year.

DON'T TOUCH OUR CPP OR OUR ALBERTA PENSIONS

The provincial government has not added referendum questions regarding a potential provincial police service and an Alberta pension plan, but they are further analyzing these topics before further steps are determined.

“Through the Fair Deal Panel, Albertans who are policed by the RCMP said that they want to see Alberta build its own provincial police service to improve policing in their communities” stated Kaycee Madu, minister of Justice and Solicitor General.

Madu held several town hall meetings in July to hear concerns about crime prevention in Albertan communities.

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) reviewed Madu’s presentation from the meetings and believe that instead of gathering information on crime prevention, the presentation appears to be selling the idea of creating a provincial police force.

“The AUMA finds this development deeply troubling given that the government’s feasibility study has not been made available to the public,” stated the AUMA.

They believe the provincial government has already decided to create a provincial police service despite promising Albertans a referendum on the idea.

AUMA pointed out that Premier Jason Kenney assured Albertans that his government would not decide to establish an Alberta pension plan or provincial police service unless a majority of Albertans endorsed those proposals through a referendum.

A provincial police service would mean that Alberta forfeits roughly $160 million a year in federal government funding for police services through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The government is completing analysis of an Alberta Pension Plan in order for Albertans to make an educated and well-informed choice, said Travis Toews, Alberta’s minister of Finance.

“We look forward to putting this important decision on the table when the time is right,” he stated.

Turning to issues that will be on the ballot, Albertans will elect three Senate nominees to fill two vacancies and one in case of early retirement.

The Senate nominee election allows Albertans to choose the individuals who represent them in Parliament and increases senators’ accountability to Alberta voters.

Following the Senate nominee election, the Government of Alberta provides the names of the elected nominees to the prime minister for consideration of the Senate vacancies.

Between 1989 and 2012, Alberta was the only Canadian province to elect nominees for appointment to the Senate of Canada, according to the province.

The first referendum question included on the ballot this year asks Albertans if the principle of making equalization payments should be removed from the constitution.

The Government of Canada manages an equalization program to address fiscal disparities between provinces and ensure that all provincial governments can provide public services at an equal level. The program uses a formula that establishes a baseline fiscal standard; provinces that exceed the fiscal standard do not receive equalization payments and those that do not reach the fiscal standard receive equalization payments.

The fiscal standard is determined using financial indicators such as personal incomes taxes, property taxes, natural resource revenue, and others. Payments to qualifying provinces are based on individual fiscal measures in relation to the fiscal standard, and other factors like the population.

All money sent from the province to the federal level is through federal income and sales taxes.

Several other political parties in Alberta have spoken out against this referendum question, stating that the federal government is not obligated to make any changes in regards to the outcome.

Among others, the leader of the Alberta Party noted that having Albertans vote on an equalization formula, which was previously supported by Federal Minister Kenney, will not change anything.

“Even if this referendum is successful, it will have zero impact on the equalization program. Even if a clear majority of Albertans support it, the federal government has no requirement to act on it,” stated the Alberta Party in June.

Alberta has not received an equalization payment since the 1964-65 fiscal year, despite contributing more than $100 billion between 2014 and 2019 alone through federal taxes, according to the province.

The provincial government stated that the current program has many issues, including a formula that requires it to grow automatically with Canada’s economy, even if contributing provinces like Alberta are experiencing immense economic challenges.

The second referendum question asks Albertans if there should be an end to the practice of changing clocks twice a year to permanently remain on daylight saving time (DST) throughout Alberta.

Service Alberta asked Albertans in 2019 if they thought Alberta should shift to DST and 91 per cent of more than 141,000 Albertans were in favour of year-round summer hours.

As some locals have pointed out, there was little consultation on whether to change permanently to DST or standard time. Alberta’s minister of Service, Nathan Glubish, did not respond to questions around this lack of consultation.

DST is currently observed in nine provinces and two territories in Canada, with exceptions in several municipalities and Nunavut. Most of the province of Saskatchewan observes year-round Central Standard Time.

Alberta first adopted DST following a referendum in 1971. The specific wording of this year’s referendum question will be finalized this summer, the province stated.

Masha Scheele, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hinton Voice

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

What the Free Alberta Strategy gets wrong about Canada's banking system

Robert L. Ascah, Research Fellow, The Parkland Institute, University of Alberta

THE CONVERSATION
Mon, January 30, 2023

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a news conference in Edmonton in November 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

What is the Free Alberta Strategy, the co-creation of two lawyers and a Calgary political scientist? And with a provincial election on the horizon this spring in Alberta, what will the sovereignty strategy mean for voters?

Bill 1, the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, is the centrepiece of the Free Alberta Strategy. It was introduced late last year by Premier Danielle Smith in another salvo in the ongoing constitutional battle between Alberta and the federal government.

Let’s review the concept’s origin and focus on one of the least examined components of the Free Alberta Strategy — the proposed Independent Banking Act.

History

Alberta separatism in the 21st century began to rear its head when Ralph Klein was premier. The so-called firewall letter, a two-page missive to Klein, was published in the National Post in January 2001.

It was signed by future prime minister Stephen Harper, then the president of the National Citizens Coalition, a well-funded conservative advocacy group, and other signatories that included University of Calgary political scientists Ted Morton, Tom Flanagan and Rainer Knopff, Andrew Crooks of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Ken Boessenkool, a former policy adviser to Stockwell Day, leader of the Canadian Alliance.

Stephen Harper, then the president of the National Citizens Coalition, speaks with media in Calgary in October 2000. (CP PHOTO/Jeff McIntosh)

Many of the letter’s recommendations would reappear almost identically in 2020, in the Fair Deal Panel findings under Premier Jason Kenney. It proposed setting up a provincial police force, withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan and effectively expanding the mandate of Alberta Revenue to collect personal income taxes.

When Harper was elected prime minister, western separatism died down. But the election of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals and Rachel Notley’s NDP in 2015 seemed to fuel dissent among some conservative elements in Alberta.

This resulted in the amalgamation of right-wing forces with the establishment of the Kenney-led United Conservative Party. Kenney easily won the 2019 election because the conservative vote wasn’t split.
Buffalo declaration

In February 2020, the Buffalo declaration was released. The 13-page letter argued that Confederation isn’t working for Alberta. It was signed by four Alberta MPs, led by Michelle Rempel Garner. It opened with a list of alleged historical injustices imposed on Alberta and its sister province, Saskatchewan.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner asks a question during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in 2020.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The alleged causes of the crisis included the National Energy Program of 1980 to 1985 — a “malicious” attack against Alberta’s resource sector, according to the declaration.

Policy recommendations included the recognition of Alberta as “a culturally distinct region within Confederation,” improved representation in Parliament and an acknowledgement of the “devastation” of the National Energy Program.

It also demanded changes to the equalization program and approval of the Teck Frontier mining project.

Meanwhile, Kenney was proving unable to control anti-Ottawa sentiment in Alberta, and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic threatened party unity. He ultimately lost a leadership vote in 2022 and resigned.

A year earlier, the Free Alberta Strategy was launched by former Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson, libertarian Derek From and Barry Cooper, a political scientist at the University of Calgary.

The strategy, with the Alberta Sovereignty Act as its centrepiece, was championed by Smith in her successful leadership campaign. Kenney and many of Smith’s leadership opponents, meantime, were heavily critical of the concept.

Kenney and Travis Toews, the Alberta finance minister, expressed concerns about a flight of capital from the province.

Jason Kenney shakes hands with Travis Toews after swearing him in as finance minister in Edmonton in 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta’s Independent Banking Act

Largely unnoticed in the Free Alberta Strategy’s recommendations is the creation of a provincial independent banking system.

Given my experience as an executive with ATB Financial, the government’s wholly owned full-service “bank,” I understand the difficulties of creating a private Alberta-regulated financial system.

A functioning banking system is critical to Alberta’s economic well-being. Banking, however, is under exclusive federal jurisdiction, including currency and the issuing of paper money.

The Free Alberta Strategy, however, purports to allow Alberta to incorporate and regulate banks, which is clearly unconstitutional. There’s no mention that this proposal is beyond the powers of the provincial legislature.

William Aberhart, premier of Alberta, is pictured at a rally in Calgary in 1937.

(CP PHOTO/National Archives of Canada)

Few Albertans probably remember the attempts of onetime Alberta premier William Aberhart during the Great Depression to tax and regulate banks in an effort to forestall foreclosures that were disrupting the lives of thousands of Albertans.

These efforts failed due to the courts siding with the federal government, and by the federal government’s use of the rarely used powers of reservation or disallowance.

The idea of using a provincial banking system to thwart federal agencies or federally regulated banks therefore is nothing new. Aberhart tried it, including by using provincial powers over property and civil rights, taxation and judicial procedures. These laws were ultimately overturned.

When Alberta couldn’t fight the banks, it decided to join them. Alberta Treasury Branches — now ATB Financial — is the main surviving relic of Aberhart’s commitment to help Albertans during the Depression.

Cut off from Payments Canada

The Free Alberta Strategy’s authors, however, are failing to recognize the impracticalities of Alberta going ahead with its own banking system.

All banks — or quasi-banks like credit unions, ATB Financial and trust companies — participate in the neural network of the Canadian financial system known as Payments Canada. All banking institutions transfer value for their customers by dispensing cash and offering debit and credit card services.

In the unlikely event that Smith introduced legislation to incorporate banks, Canada’s federal finance minister would quickly point out that ATB and credit unions would be cut off from access to the payments system if the bill were to proceed.

ATB Financial CEO Curtis Stange is pictured at the ATB Financial offices in Edmonton in June 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

This would also mean that ATB or credit unions would not be able to access the lender-of-last-resort services at the Bank of Canada. The lender of last resort can provide liquidity or cash resources to troubled financial institutions to stave off a run on the bank.

Without access to the payment systems and the central bank, ATB and credit unions would fail to meet customer needs for cash, payroll services or to close real estate or securities transactions.

The Free Alberta Strategy is in fact a road map for Alberta sovereignty, touching on the most essential compartment of sovereignty — banking and currency.

Canadian bankers and finance ministers need to understand that the inner workings of banking and central banking are well known to some Alberta sovereigntists in positions of influence — and that the constitution is only an obstacle if Alberta remains part of Canada.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

It was written by: Robert L. Ascah, University of Alberta.

Read more:

In Danielle Smith’s fantasy Alberta, Indigenous struggle is twisted to suit settlers

How Danielle Smith won in Alberta and what it means for Canada

Robert (Bob) L. Ascah is affiliated with Alberta NDP.

SEE

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for SOCIAL CREDIT

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: A History of Canadian Wealth, 1914.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The Return of Firewall Alberta

In a long rambling quote I heard on the radio yesterday, BQ leader Gilles Duceppe claimed that Alberta had more in common with Mexico than Quebec. Ok I said to myself, what the hell does that mean? He was talking about trade and trade links and mad cow. Uh huh right. So? And then he said this;Duceppe said Liberal Leader Paul Martin has refused to entertain the creation of trade zone "fire walls." He added these trade-zone fire walls would have shielded Quebec and other provinces from the fallout of mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Implying that Alberta was to blame for the BSE crisis, and the closing of the markets to safe healthy independeniste Quebecois cattle. But he said Firewall. He meant it to be around Alberta, not Quebec. Now the last guy to say that was Stephen Harper, and he said it about Alberta too, when he was President of the NCC, but he meant it as a form of psuedo-seperation.

Dr. Duceppe meant it as a way to quarantine Alberta phsyically as well as economically from the rest of the country during the BSE crisis. True the BSE crisis was centred in Alberta as a result of deregulation and privatization. However it did also occur in other provinces and in the US after they closed their border to us. Dr. Duceppe is implying that Alberta had been an economic Typhoid Mary.

Or perhaps he was just agreeing with the Old Harper. Nope read that quote again, it implies quarantine. Duceppe has just insulted every Albertan, and Canadian with that remark. Now this is certainly as big a gaffe as Beer and Popcorn. It was a throw away remark, a cheap shot at Alberta's expense. And a frightening one at that by its implications.

Wonder what the New Harper has to say about this, or the Alberta Conservative MP's or the ex-Reform Party Alberta MLA's like Firewall co-signor Ted Morton, or even King Ralph.

Monday, May 06, 2019

THE PHANTASM OF ALBERTA SEPARATISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD WITH UCP

RECENTLY GLOBAL TV INTERVIEWED BARRY COOPER A PROFESSOR EMERITUS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY.

Don’t write off Western anger as ‘alienation’ — it runs a whole lot deeper: Calgary professor
It's not alienation, its abuse towards Western Canada: Cooper | Watch News Videos Online
Barry Cooper from the University of Calgary joins Mercedes Stephenson to discuss why, if the concerns of Alberta separatists aren't addressed, there will be a ...

Barry Cooper: Separation has become a real possibility, thanks to Ottawa’s abuses
The Canada option: Is it still viable for AlbertaSeparation has become a real possibility thanks to the abuses and injustices imposed by Ottawa, writes University of Calgary political science professor Barry Cooper. Updated: December 17, 2018

Dr. Cooper as he is known sometimes, is the highest paid academic in Alberta, his salary dwarves his colleagues at the U of C, because he is the leading light of the Right Wing in Canada, he gets grants and foundation funding.

He was interviewed giving succour to the so called Separatist streak in right wing Alberta politics. Now along with being a founding member of the Calgary School of Right Wing Politics he is also a Pro Oil Climate Change Denier with his foundation the Friends of Science.

Cooper is also an advocate for private schools, charter and vouchers schools developed under the Klein government. This was aimed locally at the Calgary education market more than it was for the rest of the province, where the dominant board the CBE was not quick to adapt to the reform change movement in Education, unlike the Edmonton Public School Board, so the right wing push for Charter schools was big in Calgary.

The so called separatism is also known as Firewall Alberta which Cooper, Flanagan and the Calgary School sold Harper on prior to his becoming PM.

To understand the so called Separatist politics of the right in Canada I thought I would share this with you, some blasts from the past about authentic Alberta History not right wing wishful thinking.

Alberta Separatism Not Quite Stamped Out

It originates in Alberta not in the dirty thirties but the early 1980's in the last days of the Lougheed government, with the Western Canada Concept (WCC) of rightwhingnut lawyer and defender of fascists Doug Christie. The WCC won a seat in a red neck rural riding, and had an MLA in the Alberta Legislature giving them some political credibility, some, enough for Lougheed to use them as a whipping boy against Ottawa. Which Ralph Klein continues to do today. Any time things got a little outta hand between the Liberals in Ottawa and the Alberta Government the bugaboo of Alberta Separatism would be raised. Clever ploy that.The reality is that during the 1980's two major right wing populist parties began in Alberta, both anti-semitic, white power, anti-biligualism, pro religious fundamentalist, pro Celtic Saxon peoples (code for White Power) anti immigrant anti multiculturalism, today add anti-gay. These were the WCC and Elmer Knutsens Confederation of Regions Party. The CRP did not win seats in Alberta but in New Brunswick, as a right wing backlash to that provinces French majority.Ironic eh.

See:

Social Credit And Western Canadian Radicalism

The history of Alberta Alienation and the autonomous farmer worker resistance to Ottawa, the seat of political and economic power of the mercantilist state, dates back to the founding of the province one hundred years ago.

Rebel Yell

Populism and Producerism

Historical Memory on the Eve of the Election

Calgary Herald Remembers RB Bennett

Canada's First Internment Camps

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

0+0=0

The right wing rump parties which really are political zeros in Alberta, except in their own minds, have declared their intention to merge. These parties have no real base, and in fact the only reason the Alberta Alliance has even a modicum of publicity is that it's leader Paul Hinman is an one seat wonder as the only AA MLA (see comments below). AA get it. Its the seven step program for Alberta's wannabe Republicans.

The question is will the new party, tentatively to be called the Wild Rose Alliance, be offering a home to Craig Chandler? If so this collections of zero's could end up as less than zero; -1.

Alberta Alliance Party & Wildrose Party to Unite

Two Alberta right-wing parties propose merger for anticipated spring vote

Wildrose, Alliance parties seek merger

SEE:

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LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Ted Morton Calgary Seperatist

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Friday, December 30, 2005

Alberta Seperatism Not Quite Stamped Out

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Friday, December 30, 2005

Alberta Seperatism Not Quite Stamped Out

Sunday, October 03, 2021

Friday, August 06, 2021

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The Return of Firewall Alberta

Monday, May 06, 2019

Social Credit And Western Canadian Radicalism

The history of Alberta Alienation and the autonomous farmer worker resistance to Ottawa, the seat of political and economic power of the mercantilist state, dates back to the founding of the province one hundred years ago.

Rebel Yell

Populism and Producerism

Historical Memory on the Eve of the Election

Calgary Herald Remembers RB Bennett

Canada's First Internment Camps

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

0+0=0

Wild Rose Party In and Out Scheme

Rent A Crowd

More Shills For Big Oil

Link Byfield's New Party

Link Byfield Goes AA

Where's The NDP?

About Me