EDMONTON — Forever Canadian leader Thomas Lukaszuk says Canadians must not treat Alberta's referendum as the end of the Alberta independence movement, adding that Albertans have longstanding grievances with Canada that need to change. Speaking at an Economic Club of Canada event in Toronto on Thursday, Lukaszuk said he believes most Albertans will vote to remain in Canada on Oct. 19, but he cautioned those who think the Alberta independence movement is "done" after the referendum. "Separatism has long been a feature of Alberta's history," said Lukaszuk. "Separatists have come as close as they possibly can to seeing their dream go one step further, and that is right now. This is a genie in a bottle that magically will not be put back in." .The sentiment is one expressed by many federalists, who caution that even 20% of Albertans voting in favour of a binding independence referendum still means one out of five Albertans have given up on Canada. That number will not shrink because a vote went against it. Lukaszuk's been the face of federalism over the last 12 months. He has fought for Alberta to remain in Canada, but he has not misconstrued his messaging to suggest that Alberta, Ottawa and the rest of Canada have a perfect relationship. "It will take strong leadership to convince Albertans that separatism has no place in Alberta," Lukaszuk said. "That Alberta can play a positive role in Canada's future, as one group in Alberta puts it: Alberta should lead, not leave." The Forever Canadian leader told the Toronto crowd that individuals are not only frustrated with harmful policies targeting Alberta oil but also feel underappreciated or unrecognized, face unequal Senate representation, and feel their federal vote does not matter. "It's time to admit that some of those grievances are real," Lukaszuk said. "Rightly or wrongly, there is a sense in Alberta that we don't get the respect that we deserve. That our financial and economic contributions aren't recognized or appreciated, or sometimes outright dismissed by the rest of Canada.”"It's a fact that Albertans contribute more in taxes to Confederation than Alberta, as a province, gets back in transfers from the federal government. A certain amount of gratitude is not too much to ask.".Many nationalist groups have shifted their messaging in recent weeks, pushing the upcoming referendum as a chance to "send Ottawa a message" by voting for option two, rather than directly supporting Alberta independence. Lukaszuk pointed to this, saying it shows Albertans' grievances are not just about an oil pipeline. He said Prime Minister Mark Carney has shown a willingness to work with Alberta to address some of these problems, but he cannot do it alone. "Let's make 'Team Canada' more than just a slogan on a T-shirt, and more the way we do business and get things done, and the way decisions get done in Canada," Lukaszuk said. "There is nothing that builds Canadians' confidence in the unity and the future direction of Canada, or investors' confidence, than a united Canada, where all premiers and the prime minister work together hand in hand instead of being at loggerheads, and this isn't all on the federal government or the prime minister to lead."
