Alberta Bound
Let’s see…Leader of a debt ridden, corruption plagued political party whose years in the wilderness may only just have begun or Premier of the richest province in Canada.
If Jim Dinning wins the leadership of the Conservative Party in Alberta there is a fairly good chance that Alberta will rub along in Confederation, a bit resentful of the dollars flying off to support the nation of Quebec and the rest of the Canadas; but predictable, safe and not likely to rock the boat. Think Peter Lougheed/Don Getty.
If Ted Morton wins? He’s being painted as a socon which is not, looking at his record and platform, strictly true. But, more important than his allegedly socon views, Morton is a radical. In fact he is just the sort of radical who could take Alberta out of any number of federal programs like the CPP and the Canada Health Act. Along with the now Prime Minister, Morton signed the “firewall letter“.
While our Liberal friends duck the debate on what they could possibly have meant with the “nation” resolution and discuss who is electable in Quebec and Ontario, Morton will be putting the organization he helped develop for the Reform Party to work to bring out the vote on Saturday. At this instant it is still, apparently, possible to register to vote in the second round and it is a pretty good bet that Morton’s people will be combing the division roads of rural Alberta for every last vote.
Which ever of the Fab Four is elected in Montreal will seem remarkably insignificant if Ted Morton emerges as the Premier of Alberta. Klein talked a good game but, push to shove, would collapse in the face of the Feds; Morton is made of sterner stuff. “Maitres de chez nous” is not a foreign concept to Ted Morton but it may come as a bit of a surprise to the Editorial Board of the Globe and Mail. (The Editorial Board of the Toronto Star will, of course, greet news of Morton’s election by stuffing Kleenex in its ears and running in circles yelling “We can’t hear you.” over and over for the duration of Premier Morton’s tenure.)
I trust that the same westerners that insist Quebec only leave with its original boundaries will also ensure Canada, which gave the natural resources to Alberta in the 1930s, will receive similar compensation for the gift received for nothing if the selfish set decide to take the ball and leave. The upside (other than ridding ourselves of the 9% majority that we really really should be obeying) is that the rest of us would be quite happy to immediately instigate vigorous research and discovery of viable alternative energy sources and assist in the global collapse of fossil fuel value. Then you can find out if you can drink it.
Good luck with that. If Alberta leaves confederation, it will own itself. Whatever boundaries a separate Quebec retains depends on the people who live within them, not the rest of Canada.
I see. What’s ours is yours and what’s yours is yours and what is mine might well be yours. That’s fair.