LILLEY: If Alberta votes yes to Canada, the rest of us have work to do

If Albertans are to say yes to Canada come Monday, the rest of us must show them the country is worth saying yes to.

We need to do the hard work of making Confederation live up to its full potential because, for far too long, it hasn’t done so.

The desire for so many Albertans to even consider the path of separation didn’t come from nowhere.

Over the last 18 months, the country has talked about standing together, of a Team Canada approach in response to tariffs and trade turmoil emanating out of Washington. Yet for the decade before those threats, Alberta was too often told it wasn’t part of the team and that its contributions weren’t wanted.

Alberta’s grievances are real

That’s something Prime Minister Mark Carney alluded to in his speech in Calgary on Thursday night as he spoke of the need to repair frayed ties.

“The frustrations Albertans have felt are real,” Carney said.

“Growing up, I remember how many Albertans felt Ottawa didn’t respect their role in the federation,” he said. “More recently, many felt their contributions as energy producers weren’t appreciated.”

“What should have united us, sometimes divided us,” the Prime Minister added.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who has been campaigning for her province to remain in Canada, gives credit to Carney for taking the concerns of Albertans seriously and addressing them.

“When Prime Minister Carney was elected, one of the first things I told him was that these concerns had to be addressed,” Smith said in an interview with the Toronto Sun on Thursday.

“While we haven’t achieved everything we want, we’ve made meaningful progress. We’ve seen significant federal policy reversals and a willingness to engage. That tells me the federation can work,” she explained.

Smith still wants more for her province, including more power from the federal government, but she thinks it is feasible within a united Canada. That’s why she has put forward nine other questions for citizens to vote on, including a greater say over immigration, the appointment of judges and abolishing the Senate, which she argues is unfairly tilted toward Eastern and Central Canada.

“Let’s vote to remain and then let’s vote to work on some of those other areas to get more autonomy for Alberta,” Smith said.

The other nine questions

Some of the changes Smith is seeking on immigration are powers already held by Quebec and powers that other provinces would likely want as well. The call to give provinces authority over appointing higher-level judges within their provincial court system would also be supported by provinces like Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Whether those other measures will receive strong public backing remains to be seen. Even if they do, Carney came out against the measures on Thursday, breaking his previous stance of simply campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada.

“Make sure everyone is out there marking their ballots by Monday, including no to the nine,” Carney said at an impromptu meeting with activists before the rally Thursday.

Those comments surprised Smith, who said she hadn’t heard that from Carney before, but added that she can be a pretty persuasive person.

“There have been times when the Prime Minister and I disagreed, and I was able to convince him to reconsider,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s sustainable to allow Quebec significantly more authority over immigration while denying similar discussions with other provinces.”

While the two leaders may disagree on the nine government proposals, they take the same position on the citizen-led initiative: Alberta should stay in Canada.

Build up, don’t break up

“Let this generation of Albertans choose to build up, not break down. Let Alberta lead, not leave,” Carney implored the crowd on Thursday.

Speaking from behind the desk in her office, Smith was more subdued than Carney at the rally, but she spoke of how she is working with the federal government on moving a pipeline and other energy projects forward, something few would have thought possible just a few years ago.

“That’s a sign of goodwill. And I think that kind of sign of goodwill shows the country works, shows it is working as it should,” Smith said.

The Premier has already voted for Option 1 to see Alberta remain, and she’s encouraging everyone else to do the same.

If I were an Albertan, that’s how I would mark my ballot.

blilley@postmedia.com

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