What the Premier Didn't Say Last Night
As I sort through the Alberta political drama of the past few days, I keep coming back to the end of the Premier’s address last night.1
After announcing the referendum and the Franken-question, the Premier announced she was a federalist. Arlene Dickinson’s commentary on Smith’s understanding of federalism is spot on. Smith, she writes:
clearly wants to diminish the federal government’s power and leave provinces unfettered, each going their own way. She wants the glory of running a province without rules, while keeping a big brother around for protection when it suits her. That’s not a federation. In her world we’d be a collection of territories that are only as valuables as the resources beneath each of them. Every province for themselves. Good luck if you live somewhere with less to sell or need something more. It hollows out everything that makes our country worth belonging to.
The Premier ended her televised address by speaking directly to “those of you who already agree with me that Alberta should remain in Canada.” In the coming months as we endure a referendum we did not want, federalists must “guard against the trap of using division and demonization tactics against our fellow Albertans with whom we disagree on this matter … We must never let the voices of hatred and vilification divide us as a people.”
This is the kind of language we need from political leaders in the midst of a divisive referendum. But it is striking that it is directed only at federalists.
This got me thinking about what was missing from Smith’s address. Where was the call to guard against malign foreign interference in the referendum campaign? Where was the call to ensure that this was a decision made by Albertans without any inducement by foreign governments? Where was the call to be sure activists on both sides respected the rule of law and protected the privacy of Albertans? Where was the call to be respectful of the treaty rights of Indigenous people?
Nowhere to be found.
And this speaks to the asymmetry of Smith’s view of the province. Federalists should be on their best behaviour, and devote themselves to advocating for firearms policy that might win over their separatist neighbours. Separatists should just let it all hang out, because they’ve had to endure years of Trudeau, and so the rules simply don’t apply to them.
The coming months have the potential to damage the fabric of Alberta society. We need our leaders to demand the best of everyone involved in the conversation.
As an Canadian living in Alberta I am pretty tired of being told to just get along with those advocating separation and American ideals.
The separatists don't play by the rules why should federalists? Also, total gaslighting on saying this is 'a referendum we didn't want'. Well, if thats the case, Smith could've ended all this with the court ruling. Or simply tell the separatist wackos to fuck all the way off and form their own party. She has done none of those things.