Former Alberta Premier and Harper Government cabinet minister Jason Kenney is defending Alberta’s place in Canada amid renewed Western separatist rhetoric following a fourth consecutive Liberal victory.
In a lengthy post online, Kenney noted that while Albertans have good reason to be “frustrated with Ottawa,” growing support for pipelines and strong First Nations support for responsible resource development show Alberta is winning key battles for public opinion. “Let’s seize the momentum!” said Kenney. Kenney also called for holding Prime Minister Mark Carney to his words about turning Canada into an energy superpower, and noted the gap between the noise of separatist rhetoric and the electoral success – or lacktherof – of the movement:
“In the 50 years that a tiny minority of westerners have pushed the separatist cause, they have only managed to win one byelection, at the height of the National Energy Program. Separatists can’t elect a dog catcher in Alberta. So why allow their futile ranting to dominate the debate, distract from the real issues, and distort Alberta’s real identity as a proud, confident, patriotic province? We are bold thinkers and big builders, not perennial victims. We honour those who went before us, including thousands of Albertans who died in the defence of Canada, and who lie below gravestones marked forever by the maple leaf.”
At a time when some on the right are flirting with separatism, Trumpism, and Russia-inspired anti-Ukraine & anti-NATO narratives, Jason Kenney has been a consistent and principled voice for the conservative principles that helped build the Western world. At a perilous moment for Canada, a moment when unity and accountability are needed in equal measure, his voice is an important one.
Note: You can read Jason Kenney’s full remarks here.
Spencer Fernando
Image – YouTube
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