Premier Danielle Smith says she is not a separatist but I have never heard her say it stronger or commit to campaigning harder against the idea of Alberta leaving Canada.
Smith has been slimed as a traitor, especially in the height of the Elbows Up hysteria when some boomers in Ontario accused her of treason for not selling out the oilpatch.
Here, Smith has been called a separatist, especially by the Alberta NDP.
But the premier says she is for Canada and always has been. She vows to campaign throughout the summer all over Alberta on the side of those wanting the province to stay in Canada.
On Friday, Smith mentions Canada and her support for Canada so often I had to check to see if she didn’t have a Team Canada jersey stowed away somewhere.
She talked up Canada in her Thursday TV address to the province.
On Friday, she doubles down on her commitment to the country. The premier vows to do everything she can so the pro-Canada side wins.
Smith tells us about all the town halls and events and meetings and talking with people she will be doing making the case for Alberta in Canada.
“I will do everything I can to convince Albertans the choice should be to remain in Canada,” says Smith.
There is a referendum vote on Oct. 19.
Albertans can vote for Alberta to remain in Canada.
Albertans can vote for the provincial government to go through all the legal hoops to be able to have a Yes or No vote on Alberta remaining in Canada.
The way Smith presents the two options shows you where the premier stands.
She says you can vote for Alberta to remain in Canada, put an end to this debate and fight to make our province and country stronger and more unified.
Stirring stuff.
Or you can tell the province to go through all the appeals and all the multiple other steps needing to be done so there can be a straight Yes or No vote on the future of Alberta that the courts won’t strike down.
Choice number two could take a long time. People in the know say it likely wouldn’t lead to a Yes/No vote on Alberta leaving Canada before the October 2027 Alberta election.
“Is it worth it to go through all the steps to get that in place?” asks Smith.
Sounds like pain-in-the-butt stuff.
The premier calls this referendum “the ultimate policy debate.”
She says the UCP policy is for Alberta to remain in Canada. A group want to change that policy. She will oppose them.
It is clear Smith wants to resolve the separatist issue once and for all.
“Albertans will decide, not politicians, not the courts and certainly not the Ottawa pundits.”
“One side will get the majority of the vote and the other side will have to stand down.”
Now that’s a tall order.
Smith is also not intimidated by the thought of separatists who want to kick her out as leader of the UCP.
“I’m much more interested in what Albertans as a whole have to say.”
Smith says those who want Alberta to leave Canada should focus their efforts on that issue while the premier, yet again, says she will campaign for Alberta to remain in Canada.
When people accuse Smith of causing a national unity crisis, the premier doesn’t stand for it.
She points to those politicians attacking Alberta and attacking Alberta oil and gas.
Smith singles out 14 Liberal members of parliament who signed a letter and sent it to Carney and want to derail the deal between Alberta and Liberal Ottawa, an agreement Smith hopes leads to a pipeline to the west coast.
We don’t know the identity of the Liberal MPs.
“They should man up and say who they are and say why they don’t want this deal to go ahead,” says Smith.
Smith also takes aim at federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis and the political leaders in B.C.
“Not everything is perfect in Ottawa,” says Smith, but she believes “Canada is working better every day and it can work even better in the future.”
Smith says she and Carney are working to undo the massive harm done in the years when former prime minister Justin Trudeau ruled the roost.
She pledges to continue to stand up where she and Carney still don’t agree. The premier mentions the federal gun grab.
That’s a surefire way to get cheers at UCP gabfests.
Smith will not call an early election. The Alberta election is October of next year.
Smith will accept the outcome of the referendum and will not resign if the separatists emerge victorious.
You get the sense Smith doesn’t think the separatists will emerge victorious.
The premier is confident on this day.
“I am not afraid of the judgment of Albertans,” she says.
We will see soon enough what the judgment of Albertans looks like.