Posted on 12/15/2002 1:26:39 PM PST by Clive
Premier Ralph Klein expects an uprising on the right to lead a charge for Alberta's separation from Canada.
"There are enough people who are frustrated to form a political party, but I just don't know what they are going to do, other than to mount a movement for separation," Klein told The Sun. "And yes, I am concerned about it."
Voices in favour of Alberta leaving Canada are rising, the premier said.
"I know there are people out there who want to separate. I was listening to a radio show just the other day and there was caller after caller saying, 'We should separate. We've had enough.
" 'We're being ignored, we don't count in Canada. Not only as it relates to Kyoto but the Canadian Wheat Board, gun registration, senate reform, you name it. All we do is give and give and get nothing back,' " Klein said. "I understand that frustration, and I feel the same way. But there's still hope."
Movement by Ottawa on Alberta's continuing complaints is needed, the premier said, or even some provincial Tory supporters will turn their backs on the party because it hasn't had any effect.
Alan Cruikshank, deputy leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party, said Klein is dead right.
"We are trying as a party to keep our noses clean - we haven't taken any position on separation. But we are finding that many of our members are supportive of independence," Cruikshank said.
And, he added, a burgeoning movement in that direction may not be a bad thing.
"In the past, parties that have taken a more extreme position than the Tories on things like separation have often caused the central government to take more notice of Alberta's needs. It indirectly results in a way Albertans can apply political leverage."
Peter McCormick, a political scientist at the University of Lethbridge, said it's unlikely a separatist party would have much success in Alberta's current political climate.
McCormick said the Canadian Alliance on the federal scene and the Progressive Conservatives on the provincial scene both have had recent successes.
"Why would you go for another political party?" McCormick asked.
The Alliance has had the cost of the gun control registry revealed in the House of Commons, while the Alberta PCs have kept fighting the ratification of the Kyoto accord.
"It's the easiest thing on earth to form a political party. It's the hardest thing on earth to get enough votes," said McCormick.
McCormick said it never hurts in a province to have a separatist vein, even with "vague threats" of leaving Confederation, to make other governments take you more seriously.
"It's less likely we would be taken for granted," he said.
Much like the hatred of a teenager for his parents.
What about giving small states equal representation in the Senate?
Various proposed incarnations of this extended all the way down into northern CA.
Interestingly - since we are on this topic - prior to WW2 there was a significant movement among pissed-off southern Oregonians and pissed-off northern Californians to create The State Of Jefferson, which would strictly adhere to the letter and intent of the US Constitution. WW2 effectively ended the movement. Until the past few years anyway.
www.jeffersonstate.com
The producers are now in rebellion against the liberal parasites.
Wonderful, Wonderful.
If the American socialists continue thier 'long march', and the global elitists continue to attempt to eradicate borders in pursuit of thier failed 'globaloney' - then the people will create NEW borders.
For good or ill.
CHAOS!! ... PANDEMONIUM!!
I am (seriously) in the market for a used Bobcat with backhoe to excavate my secret underground luxury bunker. Any leads would be appreciated.
Having kept up with politics for 20+ years, I DO know about the truth of the above statement. The absorption of any province of Canada would be a liability for both nations. The best thing for the western provinces is to form an independent nation, and then decide whatever relationship they wanted to have with the remainder of Canada and the USA. The US has all the territory we will ever need. And since this would not be unanimous in the provinces, we would have malcontents to deal with. Let Canada do whatever they want to, but the best thing for the US is to ignore Canada and her problems. The less we have to do with that nation, the better off the US will be. They have nothing to add to our great country, or otherwise they would have already added it to theirs.....
Well........agree on the second part..........but you're off on the first. Canadians are a fine people, and I'm glad they're our neighbors and friends. I've done a lot of business up there. True, they have become far too brainwashed on issues like gun rights, socialized medicine, etc.........but that's all eminently fixable. They'll also give you the shirt off their back and are incredibly hospitable people........AND hard working.
I'll take the rank-and-file Canadians any day of the week, and I'll avoid labeling them for the sins of their idiotic government much as I'd hope they don't hold Bill Clinton, et al, as examples of "typical Americans".
No way! San Francisco has to go also or the deal is off.
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