Lorne Gunter: Clever move by Danielle Smith with Alberta Next initiative aimed at Ottawa

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith isn’t “stoking the fire of Alberta separation” by warning that unless the federal Liberal government changes its approach to Alberta, a separatist movement is bound to grow in the province.

Smith has repeatedly claimed she is not a separatist. Personally she sees many benefits to Alberta remaining in a united Canada. She said so again on Monday in a 19-minute, online address to Albertans.

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What she is doing, though, is playing good cop to separatism’s bad cop. Deal with me, she seems to be saying, or the bogey of Alberta independence will be released.

It’s a clever strategy, one that has been employed for more than six decades by Quebec governments going all the way back to Liberal Premier Jean Lesage and his Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.

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On Monday, during her address, Smith said “the attacks on our province by our own federal government have become unbearable.” For the last 10 years the Liberals have “demonized our province” and cost hundreds of billions in investment by targeting our No. 1 industry — oil and gas.

She credited newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney with meeting with her virtually soon after being elected. And she said the two had had a “promising” meeting.

She even pledged “in good faith (to) work with Prime Minister Mark Carney on unwinding the mountain of destructive legislation and policies that have ravaged our provincial and national economies this past decade.”

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Smith cautioned, “Albertans are more of an “actions speak louder than words” kind of people.” So until she sees “tangible” evidence of the Liberals’ willingness to change, her government will pursue four broad objectives in its ongoing relations with Ottawa.

She calls her initiative Alberta Next. It has four broad-based objectives and will culminate in a referendum next year on Alberta’s future direction. Her government will not put separation on that ballot. But this spring, the UCP government lowered the number of signatures separation supporters need in order to get independence on next year’s referendum ballot, which means the possibility of Alberta leaving Confederation is still on the table, just not from her or her government.

Examining Smith’s demands/goals over the next year will give outsiders a good summary of the history of Alberta’s grievances.

Smith herself will head up a negotiating team that will work on an “Alberta accord” which would guarantee the province access to ocean-going ports (and the corridors needed to pipe oil there) on the East, West and Arctic coasts. (Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two fully landlocked provinces.)

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She insisted Ottawa end all federal intrusions into provincial constitutional jurisdiction, principally its attempts to shut down natural resource industries indirectly through the No More Pipelines Act (Bill C-69), the oil tanker ban on the West Coast, the emissions cap on oil and gas production, the EV mandate that insists new vehicles in Canada be all-electric by 2035, the net-zero power grid, the plastics ban and the censoring of oil companies or executives who speak out against climate alarmism.

She also wants Carney to promise his government will not place an export tax on resources. And she wants for Alberta the same per capita transfer and equalization payments as the other three large provinces, Quebec, Ontario and B.C.

By raising the spectre of separatism, Smith is creating a bad cop she promises to do her best to contain, but if only Ottawa will acquiesce to her objectives.

I’m pessimistic about Carney making changes that will appease Albertans. During the last two weeks of the recent campaign, he never mentioned pipelines or oil and gas. He was fixated on “green” energy alternative. And he has re-committed to upholding the No More Pipelines Act, placing a production cap (masquerading as an emissions cap) on oil and gas, and converting the consumer carbon tax to an industrial one instead.

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I predict the federal Liberals will not jump to satisfy Smith’s list. They only show that kind of enthusiasm when Quebec separatists threaten to leave.

lgunter@postmedia.com

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