Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is on Canada’s side in the upcoming Alberta separation referendum.
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she → say → referendum
Or is she still toying with Albertans and Canadians.
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she → toy → Albertans
It certainly sounded that way when she spoke last weekend at a virtual assembly on the future of Alberta.
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she → sound → Alberta
They’re hurt.
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They → hurt → ?
I hear it at town halls, in coffee shops, at hockey rinks and in my email inbox,” Smith said.
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Smith → hear → inbox
“When a proud, hardworking people feel their contribution is taken for granted and their livelihood is treated as something to be phased out, some begin to ask a painful question.
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some → feel → question
Does this country actually want us?
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country → want → us
And it isn’t just in her public addresses that she speaks that way.
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she → speak → addresses
It’s echoed in the provincial government’s $4 million advertising campaign about the referendum.
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It → echo → referendum
It doesn’t promote the idea of staying in Canada and all the advantages that would entail.
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that → promote → Canada
Instead, it shifts the focus to Alberta and exhorts voters to “Stand Up for a Strong and Sovereign Alberta within a United Canada.”
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it → shift → Canada
That could be interpreted in many different ways.
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That → interpret → ways
And what does a “sovereign Alberta” mean anyway?
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Alberta → mean → what
The website then explains that Ottawa’s “destructive anti-Alberta policies” over the past 10 years led to the separation referendum.
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policies → explain → referendum
The nine immigration and constitutional questions to be voted on are also laid at the feet of the federal government.
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questions → vote → government
The “unsustainable” federal immigration policies led to temporary residents requiring an extra $1 billion in provincial health, education, and social services: No proof is offered before suggesting that those provincial services be limited for temporary residents.
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services → lead → residents
The website then proceeds to convince us to vote yes on the four immigration questions and the five constitutional questions.
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website → proceed → questions
No information about the opposing view is presented.
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information → oppose → view
Smith has fudged on how she intends to vote on the separation question.
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she → fudge → question
The separation question gives voters two options.
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question → give → options
Option 1: They can choose an outright “yes” to staying in Canada.
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They → choose → Canada
Option 2: Should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
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Alberta → commence → Canada
Smith’s media relations director would not say which option the government is supporting.
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government → say → option
But at the virtual assembly Smith said she intends to vote yes to staying in Canada.
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she → say → Canada
And how will we ever know?
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we → know → ?
By hedging her bets Smith offers the separatists some hope in their ongoing fight to see Alberta become an independent country.
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Alberta → hedge → fight
True to form, Smith is not actually campaigning for a “yes” vote.
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Smith → campaign → vote
With less than month to go before the referendum she is not sporting a “Canada” banner, waving the red maple leaf or planning any large rallies.
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she → go → rallies
But surely the premier of a province who in her election campaign didn’t mention the word “separation” should be loyal to the country?
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word → mention → country
How can she even hold a referendum on separation without putting the idea forward during an election campaign?
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she → hold → campaign
Smacks of government manipulation
The whole exercise smacks of government manipulation.
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exercise → smack → manipulation
After all the immigration questions — which focus on limiting provincial government services to temporary residents — and the constitutional questions were concocted after a series of travelling panels headed by Smith herself and featuring mostly friendly audiences.
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which → focus → audiences
Smith touts the Memorandum of Understanding between Alberta and Ottawa to build an oil pipeline to the B.C. coast as proof that Canada can work.
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Canada → tout → proof
It’s almost the only good thing she has to say about the federal government.
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she → ’ → government
“Why walk away from the table when we’re finally winning at it?
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we → walk → it
And to those who have always wanted to stay — staying should not mean settling.
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staying → want → those
A future federal government could undo all this progress that we’ve made with a stroke of a pen,” Smith said at the virtual assembly.
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Smith → undo → assembly
Does that sound like someone who believes in Canada? Or someone ready to pull it apart?
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who → sound → it
The Aporia
