Premier Smith says Albertans' desire to leave Canada has never been higher. What a load of "hogwash”!
The recent byelection results in our riding (Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills) showed that a large majority of Albertans rejected separation. The candidates for the Republican Party of Alberta and the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition (separatists) were soundly defeated.
Is our premier “gaslighting” Albertans by presenting a distortion of the facts?
Most Canadians do not want to be part of the U.S.
Why did she allow for the sale of U.S. liquor in Alberta? Why does she want to go along with Trump’s tariffs? Does she want to see the break-up of Canada? Has she become a “trumpet”?
Before we have a referendum on separation, let’s have a vote on her.
Do we need another panel (“Alberta Next”) to discuss her proposals when they have already been rejected by many Albertans?
They have already rejected her proposals for an Alberta Pension Plan. Rejected replacing the RCMP with local police forces and a provincial police force as well as:
• rejected privatization of our health-care system;
• rejected support of private schools with public money;
• rejected the notion that energy companies should be exempt from paying taxes to municipal governments;
• rejected the notion that clean-up of orphan wells should be the responsibility of land owners or municipal governments;
• rejected the renewal of coal mining operations on the Eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies; and
• rejected the creation of partisan politics in municipal governments.
Yet, despite these oppositions by many Albertans, she keeps pushing these agendas. Who does she “really" represent?
Let’s have a referendum on her Alberta Pension Plan.
Then one on private health care.
Then one on public money supporting private schools.
Then one on coal mining operations on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies.
Then one to open up the books on the Alberta Heritage Trust Fund (Where has all the money gone since its creation).
Then, one to open up the books on the actual costs for her trips to President Trump’s inauguration and to Trump’s mansion in Florida.
Then one to open up the books on the actual costs for sending her MLAs to many U.S. conferences this past year (2024 and 2025).
Then have one on the hunting of “endangered species” (grizzly bears, cougars, bobcats, lynx, etc).
Then a vote whether to allow the Alberta government to charge for vaccinations (such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, mumps, rubella, whopping cough, chicken pox, etc). Charging for COVID-19 shots? For flu shots? For visits to our doctors? For medical exams (MRIs)?
We have a “right” to access universal health care and not pay for private health care.
Is our premier giving the oil companies another $50 million to do more drilling? Aren’t the energy companies making enough billions already (especially since many energy companies are not paying their taxes to local governments)?
Does she believe, like Trump, that multi-billion-dollar companies should be exempt from paying taxes to Canada?
As Will Rogers said (cowboy poet and philosopher): “It’s the short memories of voters that keep our politicians in office”.
George Thatcher,
Olds
