There is growing evidence that some Alberta separatists are trying to play a trick on the electorate: Promise ‘independence’ to build support for separation, then pivot to making Alberta a territory of the United States against the wishes of the vast majority of Albertans.
When Ontario put out an extremely tame ad that simply featured the words of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed it was election interference and stopped negotiations (obviously, Trump, not the Ontario Government, was responsible for negotiations ending, and it was clearly just a pretext).
Yet, we are now seeing blatant foreign interference in Canada from the Trump Administration, foreign interference that threatens the cohesion of our nation itself:
The facts, of course, are different from what Bessent is implying. A recent Pollara poll shows 75% of Albertans would vote for Alberta to remain in Canada, compared to 20% who would vote for separation. A recent Research Co. poll showed 62% of Albertans against separation, with 31% in favour. Meanwhile, 72% oppose joining the U.S., while just 25% support it.
Bait-and-switch
Given that some top Alberta separatists have openly admitted to meeting with the Trump Administration, I think we are looking at what could be an immense bait-and-switch effort underway. In effect, the often legitimate concerns of many Albertans are being weaponized by those who are promoting ‘independence’ as a way to address those concerns, all with the intention of then using Alberta’s isolation after ‘independence’ to set it up for annexation by the United States. People would vote for what they think is going to be the status of a sovereign nation, only to be forced into the United States against their will.
Further, such annexation would likely not be as a state, but as a territory. Albertans would have zero say in national leadership, contrary to Alberta’s place right now in Canada. Remember that recent Canadian Prime Ministers, including Stephen Harper and current PM Mark Carney (born in NWT but raised in Alberta as an Albertan), are from Alberta, and Alberta has significant seat-weight in Parliament that is set to keep growing as Alberta’s population grows. Alberta would be trading an important role in Canada for a total loss of political power and influence in the U.S. Further, Alberta would go from having around 12% of the national population in Canada to having about 1.4% of the national population in the U.S., an immense loss of sway.
This bait-and-switch possibility means that a vote for Alberta ‘independence’ may really be a vote for American annexation of Alberta – something the overwhelming majority of Albertans oppose. This is a threat the Canadian government and the Canadian People must take seriously. We must keep our nation together and push back against foreign interference. The government should communicate with the Canadian People about this risk, CSIS funding should be enhanced, and – alongside this – the government should continue to address the legitimate concerns of Albertans. Alberta is an essential part of Canada, and Canadians in Alberta and across our country should come together to keep our nation intact, defend our sovereignty, and build a more prosperous future.
Note: To read more about the links between some Alberta separatists, check out the article posted in the Tweet below:
Spencer Fernando
Image – Twitter
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