According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who describes herself as a Canadian patriot, she’s only enabling a separation referendum out here in Wild Rose Country to keep a separatist party from becoming as successful as the Bloc Québécois.
“We do not want a permanent feature of Alberta politics to be parties that send representatives to Ottawa whose sole purpose is to break up the country,” Ms. Smith said yesterday in the Legislature in response to a question by Opposition Leader Christina Gray.
Yesterday afternoon, The Canadian Press interpreted this and similar statements the premier made to CTV on Wednesday to mean Ms. Smith was prepared to roll the dice on a separation referendum “in part to avert the emergence of a political rival.”
As Albertans have come to know, Ms. Smith has a casual relationship with the truth, so it’s not always easy to be certain what she has in mind when she blurts out stuff like this. In this case, though, it seems more likely she was trying to frame her party’s legislative effort to make a separation referendum easier for a “citizen” group to get on a ballot as a way to prevent a separation movement from growing in Alberta.
While it seems improbable, it’s not impossible that’s what she really thinks. Readers with long memories will recall that former British prime minister David Cameron cooked up the disastrous 2016 Brexit referendum because he was certain it would fail and thereby weaken far-right Eurosceptic politicians who were nipping at his Conservative Party’s heels.
Ms. Smith has been enamoured of Mr. Cameron’s dumb ideas before, championing his Darwinian “Big Society” scheme to dismantle the welfare state and dump the cost of social services for the weakest members of society on local councils and volunteers when she was the brand new Wildrose Alliance leader in 2011.
“What prime minister Cameron is challenging Britons to consider, and what we in the Wildrose are challenging Albertans to consider, is perhaps there is a better way to care for the most vulnerable in our society,” she said at the time. So as unlikely as her separation-referendum explanation may seem, we can’t rule out completely the possibility Ms. Smith is telling the truth this time.
After all, as Forrest Gump’s mama famously observed, “Stupid is as stupid does.” (At the risk of patronizing the readers of this post, I am obligated by the memory of my first city editor to remind all readers that Forrest Gump and his mama are not real people.)
The mysteriously well-funded Republican Party of Alberta, buoyed by irresponsible polls that provide no information to respondents about the economic implications of separation, scoffed at Ms. Smith’s statement. “The Republican Party of Alberta already exists,” it pointed out accurately enough in a statement attributed to no spokesperson that was posted on social media yesterday.
This is true enough as far as it goes, but its boast that the former Buffalo Party is “just getting started,” raises other questions. The RPA, or someone, certainly seems to have plenty of resources for dubious push polls, advertising, and paid door-to-door canvassers.
Surely it isn’t rude to wonder where the money’s coming from? As anyone who has observed geopolitics in recent decades understands, the astroturfy Alberta independence “movement” has all the hallmarks of a the “colour revolutions” that roiled many countries in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, not to mention the malicious use of social media that marked the Brexit campaign.
Nor can it be ignored that Ms. Smith’s chief of staff, her former Wildrose Party House Leader and current fellow traveller Rob Anderson, is the co-author of the notorious “Free Alberta Strategy,” or that a certain amount of sympathy for separation or 51st state talk is tolerated within the UCP Caucus and cabinet.
Moreover, for some reason “Alberta separatism” seems lately to have captured the imagination of the Fox disinformation network in the United States.
“We want Alberta, because they’re the powerhouse,” opined Fox bloviator Jesse Watters on Tuesday, suggesting that a U.S. state of Alberta “would just kind of look like a big Florida that would shoot up north.”
“It would give us access to the Arctic,” he enthused, demonstrating his extensive knowledge of geography.
Amid the brouhaha lately about claims of interference in Canadian elections by the governments of China and India, not to mention the latter’s apparent willingness to murder Canadian citizens of whose political activities it disapproves, there seems for some reason to be surprisingly little interest in examining the potential for similar activities by bad actors closer to home.
What is the good of having Five Eyes, one wonders, if they can’t keep at least one out for threats to Canadian sovereignty and unity originating right in our own neighbourhood?
Yes, you never know what Smith really believes. However, she says whatever she may currently believe with a polished confidence and certainty, at least until she abruptly changes course, sort of like her MAGA muse.
So it is quite possible she really believes this nonsense, although I can’t help but wonder she made some sort of secret 51st state deal during one of her visits to Mar a Lago. It is hard to figure out Smith’s mind, which seems quick to latch on to questionable ideas, without much thought. She also seems to protest the doubts expressed about her loyalty, perhaps too much.
So its not clear whether the danger is Smith’s sincere but bad ideas or whether she really intends to undermine the nation. If it is the former, the comparison to Brexit and the British PM’s plan at the time is quite valid. It could be argued he was also really doing what he thought was best for his party at the time, but not for the people he governed. Helping the separatists to let off steam may benefit the UCP, but making a debate about it easier may not be beneficial for Alberta or Canada.
Lest we forget, the debate about separatism did not benefit Quebec economically. Also lest we forget, Smith’s political judgement in the past has at times been spectacularly bad. Hopefully we will not go down a road like Brexit, but we may also later regret encouraging a debate on separatism in Alberta.
Question: wasn’t one of Bills, I’m thinking #11 , where she said Alberta/ Albertans would get a chance to have a referendum ( APP…??), but also followed this up with the statement that it didn’t mean that they had to listen/ follow through on what the referendum was about??
One rather interesting clip that I saw earlier today (boots) was the Indigenous chief who said that since they don’t know who/ which country Dani Oakley is planning to separate to…
They were halting any “exploration” on indigenous lands, since she doesn’t seem to understand Treaty rights. At least that was what I understood him to say.
Given how many times she’s been told to pack up and leave, publically, one would think that her ears are burning full time. The other clip just basically said if you don’t like it here, leave…..the land does not belong to you, for you to try and break it apart; no matter what Rob, or Barry or Keith say.
Re: Forrest Gump– “stupid is as stupid does”
Is it just me that thinks that a certain group of Albertans didn’t read the label on that box of chocolates– X lx l???
Just wanted to say that the Shawnigan Lake elites have precious little interest in the well-being of ordinary people. Winters in Palm Springs? Now we’re talking. Self-absorption in a bubble of wealth and privilege since birth tends to do that to people. I am speaking in general terms, MOO.
Hey Abs @9:31: please do not paint all us Shawnigan types as elites with no interest in the well-being of ordinary people. A lot of us from the 1960’s S. L school population are ordinary people that do not subscribe to any of the Libertarian philosophies, and believe it or not, vote NDP or Green.
Sidebar— Is anyone else as incensed as I am, that PP has allowed to stay on in Stornoway due to the ‘goodness’ of Andrew Scheer’s benevolence, because he is going to be re-elected as leader of the opposition.
First— according to the Official Residences Act, Stornoway is mandated to be maintained as a residence for the person holding the recognized position of Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons.
Taxpayers should not be paying the way, for someone who does not even have a seat, will not have one until an election is called, and only if they actually win that seat.
Maybe Damien Kurec should think twice about giving up his seat “temporarily” ,as per his statement. He’s lost his pension this time, could it happen again? And since we have to wait for him to be sworn in, then wait for 36(?) days before he can resign, then to my way of thinking, PP is grifting taxpayers for another 3mths worth of free rent & all expenses. This should NOT BE ALLOWED.
Randi-lee: I am inclined to agree, despite all the bleeding-heart commentary from more respectable commentators about Mr. Poilievre’s young family, the inevitability of his return, etc. etc. If the removal of a once and future Opposition leader in Mr. Poilievre’s situation is cruel and unreasonable, then the rules should be changed. Only then should the procedure be changed. You or I would be cut no such slack if we made a reasonable argument that, say, we should be evicted from our apartment because we couldn’t come up with the rent. Moreover, Mr. Poilievre knew the rules when he moved in and should have been prepared to deal with them in the event he lost his seat in Parliament. He is not the first politician to do so, and he won’t be the last – unless Danielle Smith and Donald Trump succeed in their effort to have Canada annexed to the United States. DJC
Also, when Candice (MAGA-hat) Bergen took over as interim leader, she had no qualms about ousting Erin O’toole faster than the $15,000(?) linen could hit the sheets. I’m guessing ‘his’ family didn’t matter.
Along with the fact that the new, again, leader of the opposition still hasn’t given up his dual American/Canadian citizenship. Which given the situation with d’rump, does not sit well to my way of thinking. He diddered before about when & why….I presume that he expects everyone to have forgotten his wishy washy explanations. NO we haven’t!
I would also just like to point out that, if the roles were reversed and if it was a Liberal in PP’s position, the conservatives would be more than happy to appear on CBC screaming blue-murder to get him out of there.
Randi-lee: Correct, and if Mr. Poilievre had won both the national election and his own seat on election night, troubled child or not he would have been chomping at the bit to get the hell out of Stornoway and into Rideau Cottage, which for the moment is serving as the prime minister’s residence.
Should the unemployed leader of the official opposition wish to find temporary lodgings and avoid controversy, budget motels in the Carleton riding offer excellent accommodations at reasonable prices. He could even get to know his former constituents.
I’m also gonna chuck in here that it’s classism writ large. Which is why working class people are outraged by this while rich people are supporting it.
Nobody cares about the poor families all over Canada that get chucked out of their homes for renovictions, lack of rent payment, superintendents can be tossed in 30 days should they flunk a job performance review, those that are forced out through various means such as the landlord’s cousin wanting the place etc etc.
Yet some people are gonna cry hard for a wealthy guy who might be temporarily inconvenienced who can afford to live anywhere in the entire country that he wants to?
Skippy ain’t exactly making more working class friends, here. Let’s hope his base notices the disparity.
B.
Some landlords like Skippy, that have MULTIPLE homes, 2 in Ottawa and 1 in Calgary, that they are renting out would normally have no qualms about evicting tenants. So it makes you wonder who exactly are they renting out to..??? Plus all the money he hauled in for his “merch” , on top of his salary, benefits and free rent for 2+ yrs. leaves him absolutely no excuse for the “Oh poor us” ….
Oh Pa-leese ~~~
I have a Nielsen Smielson song in mind— ‘we really mean it! ‘
“What is the good of having Five Eyes,……”
They are not there for Canada.
They should be renamed the Five Fingers, and EVERYONE knows where the hand is.
There is so much to be done, there are countless projects and timely programs that require inspired leadership and dedicated ministers. Why is it that we are constantly served up slop from Smith’s greasy spoon? What is wrong with governing for the people? What does it say about the hapless majority of electors that drive democracy in Alberta?
I have grown weary of a constant fricassee of Smith recipes of nonsense.
A healthy helping of honest, hard working government members leading an Alberta forward rather than serving up constant distractions and UCP demagoguery is so desperately needed.
No more Mar-a-Lagos, no more costly carpets, no more bad medicine, no more death care, no more stealing from the poor, no more pork barrelling.
“Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”
-St. Augustine
Seems like a great place to start.
I, for one, heard some rare honesty from our Premier and felt that we finally know her true motives for pushing this fools gambit. The conservatives at both the Federal and Provincial levels have been animated by the fear of vote splitting. In 2014 when Danielle Smith crossed the floor to join the PC’s she cited the dead of vote splitting as a motive. In 2017 when Jason Kenney came to town to blow up the PCs his motive was to prevent future vote splitting. The UCP knows if they lose even a few seats to the Republican Party (and let’s face it, those will be rural seats), or split a couple votes in Calgary, the NDP will sweep to power. The only deception I detect in her justification is her concern for Canadian parliament should separatists from Alberta be sent as MP’s. No, this fear for her own bacon that is motivating her.
Hello FT. I totally agree with your point. ow we know why Danielle “Queen of the Separatists” Smith is suddenly a loyal citizen. She’s scared stiff of losing her base to somebody even crazier than she is.
That sounds like a rationale for Smith’s floor crossing …. until you look at polls from 2014. In the summer, Wild Rose was ahead in the polls. After Prentice took over, the PCs edged ahead, but the combined Wildrose and PC vote was running around 64/65 %. The Liberals were slightly ahead of the NDP but both below 20 %. So it did not look, before the defections, as if right wing vote splitting would result in anything other than maybe a PC minority propped up by wild rose. Even after Brian Jean was elected Wildrose leader, there did not seem much prospect of the NDP surge we saw, which I attribute mostly to anger at Prentice’s “Look in the mirror” gaffe (he was right, by the way), and the spring 2015 budget which raised taxes, added a health care levy, and so on. The PCs sealed their doom with a lacklustre campaign.
Thanks for picking up on that DJC–it IS a “colour revolution” and I’ve been saying that since listening to the Trucker’s protest movement organizing on Zello where there were nearly as many Americans talking as there were, Canadian. This is being funded, organized and encouraged for exactly the benefit of ONE country and it’s not ours. When bot farms and astroturfing erupt all over social media manufactured to benefit the USA’s interests–it’s not hard to point that direction. In this case, it’s the Alberta separation push.
We need to disentangle *our* eye of the five eyes, from the USA. Anyone, at this point, thinking the American Empire are the good guys after Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Venezuela, Syria, name-that-unstable-country, dirty wars, coups etc etc etc are woefully misinformed on global politics.
I don’t completely share your view that Dixie Dani is just chasing the next shiny object to distract the public from her myriad corruptions although that’s a convenient part of it, for her. She manoeuvred herself into that position to undermine the country–from ‘way back to her Wild Rose days because that’s *exactly* how American Manifest Destiny plans, work. We’re a long-term project for the Americans, just like Hong Kong and Syria.
Dixie Dani’s biggest fear and it’s as clear as her “demand list” to Ottawa demanding we have no control over Alberta’s oil–is that we turn Big Oil into a Crown corporation, again–thus killing any leverage we have over the USA economically or militarily while bringing her future thumping huge salary plans in the oil industry after she’s stopped from wrecking Alberta any further, to a screeching halt.
Maybe it’s just me but the last few pressers she’s done but I hear that scratch of desperation in her voice that I hear in Trump’s over the tariff’s fiasco as the American economy tanks.
She’s either a useful idiot for USA interests, corrupted by Big Oil or she’s up to her neck in sedition as a plant.
I don’t know which.
You’ve expressed what I’ve been thinking for some time. Thanks. Been following the US ‘color’ revolutions since the Maidan in 2014. The tentacles of the US dirty tricks boys and girls are all over Dixie Dani and her actions imo. On another note: my wife was talking with a friend from Wainwright who visited there a few days ago. Word is that they, the voters in the riding, are happy that the next PM will be from their riding. Sad.
If Marlaina’s lips are moving she’s lying.
She is pushing this separatism nonsense hard because it placates her low information base and because it is an excellent distraction from the Corrupt Care scandal and her incompetence. Meanwhile she can proceed full speed ahead with privatizing healthcare and public education, building involuntary treatment prisons to enrich her cronies, and passing laws whose sole purpose is to weaken democracy.
Speaking of geography, Dr. Dennis Modry chimed in on CBC’s As It Happens the other day: “I don’t use the term separate at all. Separate sort of implies that, you know, the land of Alberta is gonna be moved somewhere else.”
What do you mean, Dr. Modry? We’re never getting Alberta to tide water?
Is Modry still around?! He’s another Old Tory from the glory days of Ralph Klein. First Stephen Harper, then Preston Manning, now Modry. Jeez, how many more Con fossils will the UCP exhume?
I believe he’s the person who got Smith into trouble by arranging her phone chat with Pawlowski about his legal issues.
She should have disowned Modry, but maybe she did not.
Val: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-premier-danielle-smith-leaked-call-artur-pawlowski-1.6743685 You are correct. DJC
“According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who describes herself as a Canadian patriot, she’s only enabling a separation referendum out here in Wild Rose Country to keep a separatist party from becoming as successful as the Bloc Québécois.”
Who believes this nonsense?
Hopelessly disingenuous. With her endless list of false grievances and impossible demands, Smith is fuelling the separatist fires she claims to oppose.
As Alberta’s oil mafia has openly declared, it will no longer tolerate climate policy of any kind. They wouldn’t think twice about breaking Canada apart in order to protect profits and fuel unbridled expansion.
On March 19, 2025, 14 CEOs representing the four largest pipeline companies and 10 largest oil and natural gas companies published an open letter to Canada’s political party leaders urging them to remove all restraints on O&G industry production and pollution. Including repealing the industrial carbon price.
Full letter: http://www.tcenergy.com/open-letter-to-party-leaders
Smith is an arsonist working for the fire dept.
I for one would be delighted if Alberta had a Bloc-like party. That would take 22 seats off the table, rendering Conservative majorities unachievable.
Death: I’m sure Ms. Smith has thought of that, too. DJC
If we phrase it “what does Danielle Smith believe *today*” or “before lunch” it’s the only way it makes sense. Her super power is her inability to never feel any cognitive dissonance.
I think that is more likely to be the truth on this issue. The excuse that she is avoiding the creation of a second party is another lie just like all the ones she loved to let out almost everyday. Her record is almost as good as Mr. Trump her master. To have this government representing Alberta is as bad as it can get.
A U.S. state of Alberta “would just kind of look like a big Florida that would shoot up north”? Is that the myth Danielle Smith was spreading to gullible but expansionist Americans in the Sunshine State? How do you like them tariffed oranges?
I’ve lost track of the Diagolon maps and the fantasy B.C.-Alberta-NWT-Yukon-Alaska fantasy maps of Alberta’s right wing. Which one is this now?
https://westcoastnow.ca/2022/12/12/before-becoming-ab-premier-danielle-smith-mused-about-how-easy-it-would-be-to-annex-northern-bc/
Perhaps Alberta’s premier should be reminded that she is not the one flying first class at taxpayer expense. An intelligent emperor would keep an eye out for those looking to improve their own station in life.
If ever there was a person equipped to deal with the Manifest Destiny machinations of the Brexity Bunch, it is Prime Minister Mark Carney. However, Albertans need to take charge by sending a clear message that Alberta is not for sale or for donation by Danielle Smith and her gang because they do not own it. This means being prepared to reject Danielle Smith and the separatists in the next election, presumably in 2026. She can take the Republicans, MAGA, the Alberta separatists and the rest of the loons with her to her beloved Florida where she spends so much time already, or her Panama condo or wherever. In the meantime, we have much work to do to stand up for Canadian Sovereignty Within a United Canada. CSWUC, not ASWUC.
That to me, Abs…is the rub.
Dixie Dani and her coterie of Mad Hatters are using every provincial service they gut and privatize to point at the Feds as “not supporting us”. Meanwhile the Feds *are* sending money–the question is: Where is it *going*. Because it purely is not going into the services her provinces citizens are so desperately crying out, for.
Albertans have grievances. The problem is–the Maple Magas and separatists are pointing at the Feds instead of checking their own backyard when the Province isn’t addressing those grievances.
Politics is about bread and butter issues. Bread and butter issues tend to be provincial and municipal.
Carney can start by pointing out that then publicly hardball asking Dixie Dani, “Then where is all the money going?” and if it were me, I’d be ordering a federal audit of that province along with Ontario (who could desperately use one and then Alberta can’t whine there’s a bias)
So for anyone who is trying to keep track of Marlaina’s record, let’s add another item to the list..
From the Tyee …
An Alberta Energy Regulator’s close ties to Danielle Smith.
David Yager calls himself the Premiers ‘special advisor’ . He also serves as board director of the supposedly arms length AER.
Another case of ‘no conflict of interest’ to see here people, move along now.
Has anyone looked for a GoFundMe site, or some similar online site soliciting contributions, supporting the Republican Party of Alberta? If there is such a thing, it would be interesting to see where the contributions are coming from.
There are two GFMs for the MP who announced he will fall on his sword for Pierre Poilievre. They’re hoping to raise $526,000 between them because the poor man sacrificed himself “for the benefit of all the Canadians who have a vision for our county’s future”. County? Sounds a bit American to me. Is the foreign interference committee still active? We need them now more than ever, with groups of Texas drawlers apparently going door to door to recruit Republicans for the US secession. You will get no links from me. Will they accept foreign donations? So far only one $20 donation has rolled. Not sure if the $26,000 amount is supposed to represent next year’s referendum or a provincial rejection — er, I mean election.
Lars, here’s the coterie of Alberta Republican heroes, oh and if you check their first splash page–barely 100 words and asking for donations.
https://albertarepublicans.com/about/
Take gravol first.
Jason Markusoff at CBC talked about the mobilizing (and motivating) effects referenda questions can have on supporters. Got me thinking whether organizing a competing referendum question supporting Canadian unity might have merit.
good idea – however recall petitions on 5 or 6 existing ucp mla’ s is probably more achievable in the mid term. they would scare the hell out of many of the entitled mla’s and force a loyalty check.
Playing a role of the perpetually aggrieved victim of external enemies is part of a larger politically constructed persecution complex designed to emotionally manipulate the foolish, the gullible, and the coterie of useful idiots. It is deliberate and it is by design and those responsible (‘elite’ intellectuals such as Manning and Bercuson along with the windbag that is amplifying the campaign at the political level) will never be accountable for any losses, costs, unintended consequences, negative spillovers, ect. All of those sunk costs, when they are realized, would be socialized as it is the natural order of things in advanced capitalist economies; where, the preferred method of doing business is to privatize profits and socialize losses.
Further, The Brexit comparison is justified and the comment by Donald Tusk is also an appropriate warning for all those individuals that would embrace the manipulation and its emotional propaganda at face value, i.e., “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted #Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.”
Noting that, assumptions of an ever expanding market for bitumen is seriously misplaced as looming downsides are overlooked in favor of only coveted hoped for upsides
https://fortune.com/2023/10/24/global-oil-demand-peak-2030-iea-predicts-first-time/
Additionally, future generational environmental costs associated with an ever expanding oil and gas market are conveniently ignored by the perpetual economic growth crowd.
Yet another twist in the continuing tragi-farce of UCP malgovernment. Danielle Smith is a loyal, red-and-white Canadian Patriot (because she can’t possibly win a referendum on separation). She’s determined to provide a “safety valve” so those misguided Oilberduh separatists can blow off steam (and, she hopes, NOT abandon her to the tender mercies of David Parker and his fellow rage-heads).
“We do not want a permanent feature of Alberta politics to be parties that send representatives to Ottawa whose sole purpose is to break up the country,” Miz Smith says. (Not unless they’re labeled “UCP” and Smith is their leader.)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/smith-says-sovereignty-referendum-provides-outlet-to-avoid-creation-of-new-party-1.7530218
Smith knows perfectly well that her “demands” are impossible for ANY federal government of ANY party to grant. Some of Smith’s demands are not even federal responsibility. She’d have to convince other provincial governments—and citizens!—to approve her demands.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/danielle-smith-separatism-demands-ottawa-analysis-1.7530569
As for “anti-Ottawa” sentiment: yeah, it’s real. It’s a tradition among Albertans—some, repeat, emphasis, SOME—Albertans. But as Jared Wesley and others have pointed out, it’s nowhere near a majority opinion. This, despite Smith & Co. talking it up since Carney won the election. Dr. Wesley further notes that Albertans who think busting up Canada is a good idea, tend to change their minds when they realize just what that’d mean for them, personally. (I apologize for not providing a link for this point; apparently I didn’t bookmark it.)
https://drjaredwesley.substack.com/p/charting-albertas-future
Smith knows all too well that she is playing with matches, in a house of cards that she’s doused with dilbit. She’s desperately trying to cover herself with asbestos undies while saying, “It’s Carney’s fault!” at the top of her lungs.
We need to talk to those UCP supporters who aren’t completely bonkers. Ask them how they really feel about separation and Smith’s various blunders and scandals. Ask why they supported Smith, and whether they’re having second thoughts. Ask what it would take for them to step away from the one-in-four Albertans who want to be Americans. (Naheed Nenshi, take note!)
We need to whip up our own referenda and get started canvassing throughout the province.
• Separation first
• Smith’s plans to break and privatize AHS
• a judicial enquiry of the CorruptCare scandal that’s NOT controlled by the UCP
• a public enquiry into the sudden appearance of the Republican Party of Alberta—who they are, and where they’re getting their funding
• demand the UCP revoke their American-style “reforms” to Alberta’s election laws
Oh, the possibilities are endless!
100%correct
Whatever happened to Wexit?
Good question, ronmac. As I understand it, Wexit > Maverick > Republican Party of Alberta. Same crowd. I could be wrong, of course. DJC
I think it is likely that players from the Black Hat Gang, the 1905 Committee and Take Back Alberta are caught up in this, too.
Once again I am reminded of what an 86 year old former German University professor taught me in 2003. Populations are made up of about two thirds of really stupid people and that’s why you can’t vote out these dictators. That’s exactly what happened in Germany and why we can’t get rid of these Reformers, the stupid Albertans won’t let us.
Allan— as Tennessee Brando (one of the good guys) said
“unfortunately a stupid vote counts just as much as a smart vote…”
and that’s how we end up being stuck with the dictator wannabes who are working on full dictatorship.
D’rump said right from the beginning of his first campaign, what he wanted & what he was going to do.
Marlaina made her point after the election when she said ” the people have given me the mandate”….by that time it was too late to stop her designs for the province.
With all the AI generated fake videos out there >>claiming she told Carney to get the___ out of a meeting, to another one claiming they already have 192,000+ names, to a certain advisor/ lawyer telling them how it is possible to separate.;
Even one of our local political reporters asked about Marlaina’s separation plans & when told it was “fairy dust” (my words) he came back with “but people in the west aren’t being heard”. I mean really!! Everyone has heard them. They are loud, they whine, and they are never satisfied. You can give them an itemized list of what the Federal government HAS done for them ,it’s either fake news or they won’t even listen. Because “they” have to be right….far far far right . If you try to take away the dream they were promised by their unscrupulous leaders, they get mean(er) and vengeful.
IMHO, social media has become the bane of our existence…and right now mitigating factor for countless headaches and sleepless nights.
So take a Time Out when you can, unplug even for a little while…..better equipped to handle another day of ‘As Alberta Turns ‘.
Try to have a good weekend!!
Randi, we have an added problem right now.
American manipulation. Their propaganda machine is working overtime.
If it wasn’t we’d be seen what we usually see in the American mass media (including mainstream, podcasters, youtube, twitter accounts etc) which on the whole about Canadian political affairs is…silent. They never cared about Alberta “separatism” before. They never amplified that voice.
American media only cares about another country when their government is trying to gain a foothold in another territory aka Taiwan, Hong Kong, Syria, Venezuela, Argentina, Haiti and a hundred more deviously manipulations in their favour. They sew chaos wherever they go. It signals to me that America did NOT want Carney at the wheel for as much as I have problems with neo-liberalism, even I can see that. Their preference was Polliviere who wasn’t familiar with their “separation games” while Carney saw them in action during Brexit.
I cannot stress how much this is part of the problem, right now. America is a fascist oligarchy. Big Oil and Gas are working overtime to assure that they spread the theme that somehow equalisation payments are unfair rather than explain that the USA has a similar tax structure where your income tax goes to the feds–that then send it back in payments designed to cover federal expenses such as roads, railways, water, their portion of healthcare costs etc that fall under federal jurisdiction and that the smaller the populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan–the less payback those provinces, need. We need people to shout this loudly…and often but the ones that are? Aren’t given algorithmic equality. They’re suppressed.
There is a deliberate muzzling of some facts while amplifying distorted or minor grievances to sew discontent and has been for some time. It’s just dangerously louder, now.
Alan Spiller: Danielle Smith’s political demise is coming. The Corrupt Care scandal doesn’t look too good for her, right now.
Alan, if I recall this correctly, to be fair to the German voters (not excusing what came after)…
Hitler only won a minority. He then created a coalition with the communists who were very popular with the working class–then stabbed them in the back after working with them to get the Chancellor’s seat. Once he couped the government he ordered them all to be arrested and eventually, executed.
If nothing else, most communists and unionists are hopeful sorts of people, striving for a better tomorrow, trying to build consensus amongst various groups and all that–which makes them vulnerable to the machinations of sociopaths and narcissists.
The ability to infect a minority is how fascists take over. Just like it only takes 10% of a radical population with middle-class financial support to actually throw a revolution.
Hitler was appointed chancellor. Probably not a good idea to skip over the intricacies of how that happened.
Ah yes thanks Bird!
She wants a referdumb to prevent some other party from doing what she wants to do only the other group will do it better? Not buying that one. That line is simply because she doesn’t want another party so she doesn’t loose that job she has with the perks, o.k. not perks in my book but hers yes. and she is off to mara la go……..
Smith wants to now pretend she is trying to prevent another group from dividing the country. She started the ball rolling and now she wants to stop it/??????? Would not believe anything she says. You know that line they used to use, how can you tell if a politician is lying? Their lips are moving. Smith is all about Smith and the province be dammed along with the country. Now did she make a deal of some sort with Maga while prancing around mara la go?
So if Alberta joins the U.S.A. the U.S.A. will have access to the Ocean? OMG how stupid are those Americans. You just can’t make this stuff up. All of this would make for a lovely comedy show. Noticed Law & Order, Criminal Intent did a show last night which was very similar to the events regarding the Sherman murders, so there isn’t any reason we couldn’t have another on, Law & Order, Treasonous Activities.
I think the Corrupt Care scandal is gaining momentum. This is why Danielle Smith is on full on detraction mode.
Maybe it’s time Ottawa started making some demands on Dixie Dani.
I’d start with “Get on board with the rest of the provinces and the feds with how we are going to fight this tariff problem or we turn your oil into a Crown Corporation tomorrow and use it for leverage.”
Then move onto to, “You aren’t a little kingdom so dump your idiotic manifesto acting like one into the shredder or we shut off OUR pipeline”
Then follow up with, “There will be no more dine-and-dashes with the American administration or we’ll yank your passport. If we can’t do that–we’ll make sure every border crossing you attempt will seem like you’re trying to leave the rez in the 1960’s so start stocking up on burner phones.”
“Now we’re sending in a forensic audit team to audit your province’s spending of federal funds. Have a nice day.”
I’m sure some savvy constitutional lawyer could come up with a legal way of doing all that. /jk
When is Alberta going to separate, may be the51st state
Fraulein Schmidt has been hard at it the last couple of weeks, following the mantra of another hero of her’s, Steve Bannon, and flooding the zone with shit. This time around it’s so thick you’d need hip waders to make your way through it.
I’m so sick of this separation bollocks and all the inflated numbers that go with it. In fact, my friends, I will come out and say it – let’s have the referendum and put all this BS behind us once and for all. The conditions:
1. It happens next month
2. The vote will be mandatory for all ALBERTANS over the age of 18 (sorry, no parachute voters.)
3. The question is incredibly simple: “Do you want to separate from Canada? Yes or NO?”
4. A super majority is required to leave Canada (75% +)
5. If the vote to separate fails then a) the issue is considered dead and can never be brought up again, and b) Fraulein Schmidt must resign and never again be seen or heard in public.
Hey, a guy can dream can’t he?
Another week and Queen Danielle comes up with another excuse to do something stupid. Not that I have a problem with Smith doing stupid things, because it gives us all a chance to watch and see who the idiots are who lap with stuff up.
The premise that Smith is operating under is that because Treaty Lands came into exist before Alberta was founded, Alberta was never party to these agreements. Now that Alberta exists, they want new agreements with First Nations, which is another way of telling First Nations people they can pound sand and go back wherever they came from. This is the UCP mindset, and it’s no different from the RPC mindset on this issue. I recall, from that time, First Nations (who the Reformers happily called Indians) are in a trustee relationship with Canada. Full stop. They have no rights and never should. Oh, and they can go and pound sand. This decidedly adversarial relationship with first nations was based on racist notions of ‘taming the savage’ and so on, which without a doubt existed among the membership of the RPC. Or, as many in the party believed, they have the right to be racist and bigoted. FreeDUMB, indeed.
I find the current climate to be rather quaint, by comparison. I remember seeing Stephen Lewis defend Presto Manning once, saying he is no George Wallace. If Manning could get a pass from Lewis, it shows how far we have fallen as a civilization.
Smith’s Trumpian mission to break everything will, at some point, be her end. Of course, that end will only come if she is completely broken and left a smouldering wreck. The only way to effectively deal with these people is with crushing force, and I’m here to watch it happen.
Mo popcorn.
It’s very interesting to see the shelf life of an Alberta Premier waning while the “Free the West” progeny do their work. If there is any probability that the separatists could succeed in their quest, it’s impossible to envision what the new organizational structure would look like because it’s not clear what their aim is. A new country? A new state? A sovereign entity within confederation with a firewall? A new head (king, queen, premier, prime minister or president, etc.) of state? No wonder our Premier is walking like a wounded, but feisty duck.
In 1929 the grand lodge of the Orange Order of the Province of Alberta invited KKK organizer JJ Maloney for a speaking tour throughout the Peace Country. From Edmonton they travelled by train to Spirit River, where they received a “great ovation”. From there they travelled to Grande Prairie (where the first “klan” in alberta was started in 1914). From there they went to Sexsmith, Wembley, and Hythe, each time speaking before capacity crowds. From there they made a hop across the border for meetings in Pouce Coupe, Rolla, Sheardale, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. (It should be noted the only resistance they saw on the entire tour was a single “burly individual” in Dawson Creek. From there it was back to alberta for more meetings in Valhalla, La Glacé, Sexsmith again, Fairview, Berwyn and Peace River, before heading back to Edmonton. Some ten days packed with meetings all of them full of enthusiastic attendees hanging on to every word of the Klans principle organizer in the West.
The reason the were able to have such a banger of a promotional tour is the infrastructure long existed in alberta to do so, that of the Orange Order. This was no accident, immigration to alberta was heavily influenced by the order both in England and Ireland, and Eastern Canada. The point was to flood the west with protestants loyal to the British crown, or at least amenable to it, and WASPness in general (Scandinavians for example). This aggressive (and racist!) Protestantism led to a protracted struggle
With Ottawa over two things : French language schools, and as a result of alberta refusing to allow equality of education; resources. Ottawa and Alberta fought for TWENTY FIVE YEARS, for “no strings attached” resources (the strings being equal rights for French catholic students) Until the Feds ultimately caved completely to our demands.
Which is to say we won, but it’s never been good enough. The suspicion and racism against French Catholics was replaced by an isolationist “west is best” attitude that has effectively run the province for a hundred years. Albertans still moan about “laurentian elites” but they do not remember why.
The reason largely being WASP exceptionalism that refused to accept ANY identity for Canada that wasn’t WHITE ANGLO-SAXON and PROTESTANT. Not for nothing, the federal seat PP fully intends to parachute into is the classic stronghold of orange order, the first area that the KKK made any sort of progress in Alberta, and where this bird has learned the dregs of very much still reside.
The song we hear today is as old as the province itself, likely older. I for one find it extremely unlikely anything will change unless albertans actually grapple with our history.
Wow, thanks for the history lesson Bird! I had some idea, having stumbled across some of that before but you put forth a really good treatise on how we got to this point.
Also, I might add Bird, that the Metis were Catholic and they were an existential threat to the Orange Order and we all know the outcome, there.
Exactly B, and not only that, Edmonton itself with its large Métis and French Catholic populations was chosen by Maloney for his home in Alberta for that reason specifically, I believe he called it the “Rome of the prairies” and was demonized as such by the orange loyalists in the province; a legacy that I would argue continues to this day. Edmonton is still demonized by folks in those communities, though precious few of them would remember why.
Smith wants Alberta to become Trump’s 51st state.
Since the US is apparently accepting “refugees” from South Africa, maybe they could find it in their hearts to allow the 25% of Albertans who apparently would like to become Americans. After all, Smith has already paved the way by claiming that her anti-science followers have experienced “the most discrimination she has ever seen in her lifetime”.
Jeff: Excellent idea. DJC
Once again Dani Smith craves the cold hearted warmth and attention of her Ditchbillie followers….like trump she too has a cult of so called patriots of the knucklehead persuasion…..the foul odor of misguided fools stumbling about inebriated on the notion of a separation fantasy while parked on Alberta’s side country roads……there’s only one problem with that fantasy and that’s how to afford what Alberta has provided for its citizens thus far…..so how is that confederation system really working for Alberta and who pays for what……you see as far as I’m concerned Alberta has received the Lions share for Canada’s biggest make work project in our history -Mining oil…..Who would have thought that it’s just so darn lucrative……the thing is its not……it merely insures that Canada and the United States are not beholden to the Oil barrons misdeeds of the middle Eastern countries and so we must produce the oil ourselves….. Alberta produces for the Wests consumption……its Energy security…..and security has a cost point…..and the cost of this security both directly and indirectly is a check given to Canada’s O&G industry for a whopping 29 Billion Government dollars just in in 2024 alone…..and that my friends is PAID by all Canadians from coast to coast……So Alberta as a separate nation will be cash poor to fund such a massive make work oil security scheme without the rest of Canada contributing……Oh and if your wondering today while Alberta’s HC&E are slowly being eroded……Ask yourself if the UCP really are working for all Albertans or Just the Bay Street and Wall Street ones….Is Alberta and Canada getting the Best Deal from the Billionaire Class ????..Democracy Works if you’re wealthy but a lot of Albertans can’t even afford pay their bills……By the way Dani is Alberta still calling for more Patriots Ditchbillies and the like?????……I see PP has answered that call……..
Brian Mason makes a great point, that PP’s by-election in a riding infested with separatists could wreck his chances of retaining the CPC leadership.
Val: I saw that, but I’m not sure I agree. I suspect Alberta separatists imagine they can be citizens of a separate country at the same time as they continue not just to be Canadian citizens (which might be possible) but also send MPs to Ottawa. This is not likely to happen. Mr. Mason is right that the choice of riding has the potential to be an embarrassment to him, but I personally think it need not be a politically fatal one. I assure you, it won’t bother the residents of the riding, and this kind of thing is quite permissible under the Westminster Parliamentary system. DJC
I was thinking more that the CPC might not want another leader from Alberta, especially if he does not have the guts to oppose separation. On the other hand maybe his obnoxious way of arguing would be useful in discouraging separatists from mouthing off so freely.
Did you see these excellent threads? Ray started asking questions about separation:
https://x.com/menard_ray/status/1920279065451438415
and
https://x.com/menard_ray/status/1920283079467278721
and especially numerous tweets about treaty land
https://x.com/menard_ray/status/1920286712212959440
Then Tim added a list of many complications affecting an attempted separation which in the end might not happen even if there was a yes vote:
https://x.com/tim4hire/status/1920473543155818729
Sidebar: Is it just me, am I coming from some sort of lazy perspective, or is it legit to ask how in the hell does Climenhaga keep up with reading, moderating and replying at times, to comments posted here? In addition to his having a regular daily comm’s job and an actual family to be connected to?
It’s like there are two of him?
Sam
We are fortunate to have him and his works to public discourse.
Here’s my “mint, dill and cumin” in aid for the cause…
https://albertapolitics.ca/donate/
Sam, IKR? I ran a blog a few years back and it can be wild. I don’t know how popular substackers keep up with it either.
On the weekends, when JTC leaves up the Friday article we all get talking to each other back ‘n’ forth and it gets busy cuz he’s acquired an interesting and enjoyable coterie of followers.