The head of the Forever Canadian group campaigning for Alberta to remain in the federation said Friday that Prime Minister Mark Carney has been a “calm” and “reassuring” presence for Albertans.
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Carney → campaign → Albertans
Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier of Alberta, said Carney is showing “there is someone at the helm” by standing up for Canadians in trade negotiations with the White House.
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Carney → say → House
Carney shook hands with volunteers from the Forever Canadian campaign on Friday in Banff, Alta.
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Carney → shake → Banff
They were invited to the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on the final day of the federal cabinet retreat.
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They → invite → retreat
The prime minister was cheered by about 50 supporters of the Forever Canadian campaign, almost all holding red and white signs and some wearing the maple leaf.
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some → cheer → leaf
The prime minister wrote “Canada is everyone and for everyone” with a black marker on the campaign’s promotional bright pink recreational vehicle, which it’s using to travel around the province.
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it → write → province
The crowd then broke out in a rendition of O Canada.
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crowd → break → Canada
Alberta is set to hold a referendum on Oct. 19 on whether to hold a second vote on leaving Canada.
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Alberta → set → Canada
Carney has called for national unity but has not gone out on the campaign trail to loudly make the case for Albertans to stay in Canada.
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Albertans → call → Canada
The prime minister did not take questions from reporters on Friday.
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minister → take → Friday
On Thursday, Carney said he sees his role primarily as delivering on his economic agenda for Alberta and Canada to further the cause of co-operative federalism.
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Alberta → say → federalism
He also encouraged Albertans to get out to the polls next month.
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He → encourage → polls
“Canada is worth fighting for, and fighting for in this regard means showing up on the 19th or mailing in your ballot or participating in early voting
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fighting → fight → voting
,” Carney told reporters on Thursday.
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Carney → tell → Thursday
Lukaszuk said he expects there will be “a stage in the campaign” when the Prime Minister will become “much more personally engaged.”
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Minister → say → campaign
Lukaszuk also said he hopes to see the federal Conservatives get more involved in the campaign.
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Conservatives → say → campaign
“The leader of the Official Opposition, Mr. Pierre Poilievre, says that his MPs from Alberta are behind us.
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MPs → say → us
You know, I keep looking in the rearview mirror of this RV.
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I → know → RV
I don’t see them,” he said.
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he → see → them
“But I certainly hope that they get engaged because this is not a partisan issue and this is the time where all hands are on deck.”
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hands → hope → deck
While the federal cabinet chose to hold their meeting this week in Alberta and to meet with some of the province’s mayors, ministers did not spell out any future plans to take part in the remain campaign.
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ministers → choose → campaign
At a closing news conference on Friday, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who represents an Edmonton riding, said it’s not the job of the federal government to tell Alberta what to do.
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it → close → what
“Our role with respect to this referendum certainly is not to tell Albertans how to do anything.
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role → tell → anything
It’s not to tell Albertans how to vote.
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It → ’ → Albertans
It is to make sure that we are a strong partner with Alberta, that we collaborate in terms of projects and other steps that we’re taking to build a unified country together,” she said.
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she → make → country
Olszewski said the federal government’s actions “speak a lot more loudly than if we just stand at a microphone and say some platitudes about Alberta.”
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we → say → Alberta
But she also said her colleagues are “absolutely” calling for Albertans to vote to remain in Canada.
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Albertans → say → Canada
“We are talking to Albertans about the importance of remaining in Canada,” she said.
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she → talk → Canada
“We’re showing Albertans that Canada works, that we’re doing our best to ensure that our country works for all regions across the country.
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country → show → country
On Thursday, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas credited Carney and his cabinet for putting in “hard work” in his province and for not taking an off-putting approach to the debate over separation.
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Farkas → credit → separation
“If they had just diminished this to transactions – if they had asked Albertans, ’Well, what’s it going to take to keep you?’ – then I think Albertans are smart.
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Albertans → diminish → you
We would have been able to see through that,” Farkas told reporters.
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Farkas → see → reporters
“They have been present not just in major events like Stampede but also ... visiting rural communities in Alberta.
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They → visit → Alberta
There’s many areas of Alberta that haven’t seen a member of Parliament from outside of the province – let alone a Liberal member of Parliament – in many, many decades.
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that → ’ → decades
“They’re showing up to listen, to learn and to be able to support common cause.”
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They → show → cause
The Aporia
