Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s climate and energy agenda could drive a rising number of Westerners to back independence from Canada.Wall was a panelist on the Western Standard election night coverage and said voters in Saskatchewan and Alberta already feel shut out by Ottawa. He warned that sentiment will deepen if the new Liberal minority presses ahead with measures such as Bill C‑69, hard caps on oil and gas emissions, and a phased-in fossil fuel ban starting next year.“Those policies are antithetical to the Western economy,” said Wall. “If a Carney government proceeds as he says he’ll proceed, that [support for independence] number’s going to grow.”An Angus Reid poll released during the campaign found 35% of Saskatchewan respondents and 30% of Albertans favoured breaking away from Canada, even though no organized separatist movement was active. .Wall called the poll results “stark” and said they highlight a deep sense of Western alienation.“That number is that high without a campaign, without a leader, and without answers to tough questions,” said Wall. “Put an organized campaign behind it and that number will grow.”Wall argued that Carney’s promised “clean electricity” rules and pending cap‑and‑trade system amount to a hidden carbon tax on heavy industry. He said potash and uranium mines in Saskatchewan would pay the price, along with oil producers in Alberta.“Those large‑scale operations keep thousands of people working,” said Wall. “If costs ratchet up, the risk is jobs and investment move south of the border or overseas.”.The former premier added that Saskatchewan and Alberta have already watched billions in energy projects cancelled under earlier federal regulations. Some examples include the Northern Gateway pipeline and the decision by Teck Resources to abandon the Frontier oilsands mine.Still, Wall said Western independence is not inevitable as pressure could ease if the minority Liberals temper their plan and work with Western premiers to protect natural resource jobs.“None of this happens if Carney has some sort of Damascus Road conversion on fossil fuels, mining, and modern agriculture,” said Wall. .“But if he doesn’t, all bets are off.”Western independence has flared before, most notably during the National Energy Program and again after the 2015 Liberal victory. Support for independence has usually faded when economic fortunes improved or when Ottawa made concessions.Wall, who led Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2018, said the new government faces a clear choice, either respect the West or there will be a growing desire to seek independence from Canada.
