There have been some questions lately about whether or not the fact that I am a self-described
‘separatist’ would have any effect on my standing as a member of the
Wildrose Alliance party of Alberta.
What I find particularly interesting is that most of these inquiries have come not from supporters of the leftwing parties in the province, but primarily from those who claim to be Progressive Conservatives. Given that there have always been a small number of pro-independence or outright separatist Albertans in the P.C. party, I believe their intent is fairly transparent.
I am a former life-long provincial Tory supporter who, like many others, performed the ultimate sin and jumped to the Wildrose Alliance which has become the newest and greatest threat to the ruling party.
(Also interesting is the double-standard for separatists in Canada. History shows Quebec separatists being pandered to at every turn, while Albertan / Western Canadian separatists are ridiculed. Hmm...)
As I am about to play a role in the
Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville constituency – the one presently held by none other than the illustrious Premier Unsteady Eddie Stelmach – I thought that perhaps a little clarification was in order.
My separatist leanings were formed by the usual suspects: Eastern dominance over the West; unbalanced federal policies such as the Equalization program; federally-mandated social engineering programs such as bilingualism; the ghost of the NEP; etc.
And don’t get me started on the double-standard regarding the Wheat Board and the
jailing of our farmers for daring to sell their own product.
During the long winter of federal Liberal government, the sentiment was strong. Tired of the two-pronged attack of a government that took advantage of my province and Eastern Canadians who mocked us for having the audacity to speak out against such treatment
(one comment from an Ontarian in 2003: ‘…your province is just a backwater colony of the nation. Why don’t you people accept your role as provider for the East…?), I envisioned an Alberta free from Ottawa-based tyranny.
I can confidently say that when it came to that point of view, I certainly did not stand alone.
Today, we find ourselves with a Conservative government in Ottawa. While not a perfect solution to the list of issues, the Harper government is a step in the right direction, as shown by their move to eliminate such inane laws as the long-gun registry.
Not perfect, but I believe they have done a good job albeit with a minority.
Provincially, I found myself supporting a provincial government that has existed long past its ‘best before’ date; a political party in the Progressive Conservatives which has a history of talking tough to Ottawa in public, while kowtowing behind closed doors.
In the Wildrose Alliance I found a party that, while not a separatist party by any means and with no intent on becoming one, possesses a shared sense of Albertan patriotism. We are more than willing to continue being an important element in this thing we call Confederation, but not necessarily willing to remain status quo.
It is in this vein that I have made the conscious choice to set aside my personal separatist leanings in favor of a more realistic path.
The betterment of Alberta remains my ultimate goal. Whereas that seemed impossible in a Liberal-run Canada and a P.C.-run Alberta, the emergence of a federal Conservative government and, perhaps most importantly the emergence of the Wildrose Alliance under
Danielle Smith, has given me (and many, many other Albertans) reason to believe that perhaps a strong Alberta can exist within Canada given the right circumstances.
