Alberta Senator Kristopher Wells has dismissed claims made by the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) that Albertans can still hold onto their Canadian passports should the province gain independence.Wells, the politician responsible for the “Pride Tape” campaign encouraging NHL players to wrap their sticks with rainbow tape in support of the gender minority crowd, rejects the very notion of a national divorce.“Alberta is not going anywhere. Canada needs Alberta and Alberta needs Canada,” wrote Wells on LinkedIn last week.“Let’s stop the distraction and focus our time and energy on our economy, healthcare, and looking after our most vulnerable.”.However, on Monday, Wells, who was appointed by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December, apparently began entertaining the idea — and attempted to quash assertions put forward by one of the lead independence groups, the APP, led by Calgary lawyer Jeff Rath.The APP put out an advertisement for their independence project in what they called an “education” campaign. The post said, in the case of independence, Albertans would be able to keep their Canadian passport and their Canadian Pension Plan, among other things like “personal identity” and “Canadian connection.”.The flyer received substantial pushback over the weekend, with people commenting that the advertisement was off-brand because people who want independence from Canada don’t wish to hang onto their Canadian passports anyway.The group revised their advertisement with a caveat written in italics.Wells reported the original ad, weighing in on the consequences should the movement be successful in achieving its goal.“I can assure you. No Canadian passport, no citizenship, no pension, and no future if you want to leave Canada,” wrote Wells on Monday.Later in the day, he seemed to concede his original point.“Of course, Canadian citizenship is a right by birth. But once a sovereign nation, that might very well change for any new births.”
