Andrew, this misses the point.
You can be undecided on separation and still recognize the weakness in your argument.
The question isn’t whether Alberta is currently growing. The question is whether Alberta is reaching its full potential under the current federal framework. Those are not the same thing.
A business can be profitable while facing unnecessary regulation. A worker can succeed despite carrying extra burdens. A province can boom despite policies that many residents believe put it at a disadvantage.
Pointing to Alberta’s economic strength doesn’t answer the concerns being raised. It sidesteps them.
Many Albertans aren’t separatists. Many aren’t even supporters of a referendum. They’re simply asking whether the relationship with Ottawa is serving Alberta as well as it could.
If your response to those concerns is “you’re rich, so stop complaining,” don’t be surprised when more people start questioning the status quo.
The fact that Alberta is succeeding doesn’t prove the critics are wrong. It may simply mean Alberta is strong enough to succeed despite the issues they’re raising.
That’s a debate worth having, not dismissing.
Wait, so ALBERTA IS BOOMING … under the oppressive federal yoke? Under the Nine Bad Laws? You mean the richest province in Canada is getting even richer? Clearly there’s no alternative but to bust up the country.
I’d respond directly but the premier’s chief of staff blocked me.