The Brat Strikes Back!

In a current issue of the Calgary Herald, an editorial appeared from writer Naomi Lakritz denouncing the Alberta independence movement. In it, she reasons that since the Klein Conservatives have had scandals of their own, the separatist-minded Albertans should not be so quick to judge the federal Liberals. Using the Alberta P.C. governments record as a tool to attack separatists is akin to using the federal NDP record to attack the Liberal government - it doesn't wash. The assumption is that all Alberta separatists are conservatives, or at least pro-Klein. In this Ms. Lakritz could not be more wrong. Over the last six months I have spoken with many independence minded Albertans, and have even done an unofficial poll on the issue. What surprised me the most out of all the numbers were the amount of non-conservatives who said that they would support, at the very least, more study be done on the plausibility of independence for the province.

Ms. Lakritz then seems to think that a corrupt government is acceptable as long as certain special interests demands are met when she claims that the federal Conservatives aren't receiving the support of the masses due to their unpopular policies. Not to sound too much like a conspiracy theorist here, but I must say that this writer must be one of the only Canadians of any political stripe who doesn't see the negative bias directed at the Conservatives by the main stream media - her own newspaper included.

At the end of her piece, Ms. Lakritz deteriorates into labeling and name-calling, referring to educated, knowledgeable Alberta separatists as "spoiled-brats". This type of stereo-typing isn't surprising from such a publication, but to actually try to support her argument by quoting Edmonton Journal writer Mark Lisac is laughable. Lisac is known as being just a little to the left of Pierre Trudeau.

The only substance this article leaves us with is the knowledge that by even appearing, the separatist movement in Alberta has been declared an actual political force. With people on all ends of the political spectrum coming to realize that confederation does not work and that the only real future of Alberta is through a course of independence, the left-wing media is starting to feel the rumble. Their natural first-strike weapon is to let fly the innuendoes and misinformation. We have seen it before through many federal elections, and will no doubt be the target of many future articles along the same vein as Ms. Lakritzs'. To quote a liberal to finish my point, as District Attorney Jim Garrison said when he found government surveillance in his office: "...well, we got the bastards scared now...".

Who Will Lead the Charge?

The current rise of Alberta independence sentiment has become the talk on the street. Water cooler gossip includes veiled references to anti-federalism, which isn't exactly new in Alberta, but now includes 'soft' comments of separation. The voices usually lower in tone, and the comment is put out with some caution: "...you know, maybe it is time that we said to hell with it and went on our own..." On the internet, websites and blogs, which are always up for interpretation, is alive with the talk of Western alienation. That seems to be the new buzzword in federal politics, replacing the now-rusty 'sovereignty-association' as a favorite with the parliamentary media watchdogs.

The Separatist Party of Alberta has noted an increase in website traffic, as have many other Alberta independence sites and organizations. Curiosity is surely a main factor, but common sense dictates that the more people who are exposed to the movement, the more they will start thinking about it as a viable option. What is needed now is a leader to step forward. Someone who will appeal to a cross-section of voters, selling the idea of independence. An individual who will unite all of the independence-minded Albertans into a strong political force.

Some say the answer lies within the current provincial government. The replacement frontrunners mostly include federalists. I doubt that Jim Dinning, whom I worked on a couple of campaigns for, has any intentions of moving Alberta towards a more independent route. Ditto Gary Mar, Iris Evans, Ed Stelmach, or any other rumoured candidates, with the possible exception of Ted Morton. Others believe that only by building a strong independence party can Alberta move the separation issue forward. I, for one, cannot see the Progressive Conservatives being the party to obtain more self-determination for Alberta. For one, they have had since 1971 to do it; and secondly, if a leader who wishes to begin taking Alberta down that path is elected, he will no doubt face strong opposition and possible defections from federalist Conservatives within his own party. This would damage the public image of the separation idea at the worst possible time.

Whichever path Alberta chooses in its quest for cutting ties with Canada, one thing is certain: there has never been a better, or more important, time for the leader to emerge.

By The Numbers

The results of my own unofficial, unscientific poll. Just a small sampling from across Alberta of 300 people who were asked the following questions.

Q: Should the provincial government study the potential of Alberta separation?
Yes - 181
No - 82
Unsure - 37

Q: Do you trust the federal Liberal government?
Yes - 24
No - 269
Unsure - 7

Q: Do you believe Alberta is fairly represented in the federal political system?
Yes - 66
No - 210
Unsure - 24

Q: Should the Senate be reformed to require elected senators?
Yes - 282
No - 6
Unsure - 12

Q: If proven to be a viable option, would you support Alberta separation?
Yes - 191
No - 55
Unsure - 54

Out of the 191 who said they would support an independent Alberta, their stated choice of political party was:
PC - 119
Lib - 21
ND - 4
Alliance - 19
Other - 28

A big thank you to the respondents from Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Cardston, Peace River, Lethbridge, Sylvan Lake, and Leduc. Your time is much appreciated!