When I first started planning the launch of Project Confederation in 2019, I met with many Albertans. I think it’s fair to say quite a few of them were skeptical..To be clear, they weren’t skeptical of the ideas behind the project or the necessity of addressing the inequities in Confederation..No, they just thought that an advocacy organization focused on really difficult, detailed, and often quite academic subjects was never going to work..“People won’t get it,” they told me..“Too wonkish,” was often heard too..In some ways they were right. Their feedback helped us ensure our communication was always as clear as it could be, but they also weren’t thinking about the big picture..Western Canadians understand the issues we’re talking about are so important for the future of our country, they’re willing to take the time to learn about and really understand all the details of what’s wrong with our current situation and how we can fix it..Our work shows it's actually possible to engage Canadians — both in the West and in the rest of Canada — on how Confederation is supposed to work..We’re proving people do care about the foundational principles upon which our country was built and we can make a difference — first by changing minds, then by changing policies and finally by changing laws..Although, it did seem like this was a year where the laws didn’t seem to matter — at least when it comes to constitutional jurisdiction..The federal government invoked the Emergencies [War Measures] Act, sending shockwaves through the country and creating another wave of anger in Western Canada — one that sent former Alberta premier Jason Kenney packing..We saw Quebec demand more representation in the House of Commons — despite the fact their population is growing more slowly than the rest of Canada, meaning they are entitled to fewer seats..We watched as a major energy project got approved off the coast of Newfoundland — even though federal government policies landlocked Alberta and Saskatchewan’s energy development..We contemplated as the Alberta Court of Appeals ruled the “Impact Assessment Act” unconstitutional, while Ottawa renewed their focus on limiting the use of certain fertilizers..We witnessed the federal government grant an exemption to British Columbia, allowing them to ignore the Criminal Code with respect to illicit drug use..Meanwhile, Quebec spent June unilaterally amending the Canadian Constitution — which clearly caught Saskatchewan’s eye, as it was a strategy they announced plans to use in the Saskatchewan First Act released later in the year..We also saw many of our policies become key campaign planks of multiple candidates in both the United Conservative Party and Conservative Party of Canada leadership campaigns — a true testament to our hard work. Not every organization can say it set the agenda of two major political races that are already starting to change the shape of political debate across Canada!.As the leaves began to fall, we started to look to the winter and potential energy shortages driving the affordability crisis. We pointed out less resource-rich regions of the country — like Ontario and Quebec — will have a harder time addressing inflation and warned that the federal government may look at Alberta as a cash cow to pay for an expensive inflation relief program..We were also very pleased to see the Saskatchewan government introduce a white paper outlining major steps that Premier Scott Moe was going to take when it comes to protecting Saskatchewan's interests, including many that we've campaigned on..The Saskatchewan Throne speech also announced the introduction of a new kind of provincial police force — designed to augment existing RCMP forces — a step towards the full provincial police force we've advocated for..November was by far our busiest month of the year, and Saskatchewan again got the ball rolling early with the introduction of the Saskatchewan First Act. The act is designed to confirm Saskatchewan’s autonomy and exclusive jurisdiction over its natural resources, along with implementing some of the proposals in their earlier white paper, including policy changes we’ve advocated for in recent years..Not to be outdone, incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued mandate letters to her new cabinet — and we were pleased to see the creation of both an Alberta Police Service and an Alberta Pension Plan are major priorities for her new administration..There were developments in other provinces outside the prairies in November as well, with Ontario continuing to normalize the use of the notwithstanding clause — a move that puts them at odds with the federal government..In Quebec, newly-elected Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his caucus are refusing to swear allegiance to the crown — even though they are constitutionally mandated to do so, and another unilateral constitutional amendment (see above) is on the way..These constitutional tensions, together with Alberta and Saskatchewan taking strong approaches when it comes to autonomy, could be driving us towards a constitutional convention, and the implications of that path..And, to top it all off, Danielle Smith’s Bill 1 — the Alberta Sovereignty Act — was passed and received Royal Assent. The Act puts Ottawa on notice that Alberta will no longer be tolerating federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction..Almost lost in the news about the Alberta Sovereignty Act, we were also extremely pleased to see our work to show that there's a strong appetite amongst Saskatchewanians for a provincial revenue agency was effective, as the provincial government introduced the Saskatchewan Revenue Agency Act — legislation that promises to give Saskatchewan more autonomy when it comes to tax collection..In 2022, we silenced the doubters. What a year it was!
When I first started planning the launch of Project Confederation in 2019, I met with many Albertans. I think it’s fair to say quite a few of them were skeptical..To be clear, they weren’t skeptical of the ideas behind the project or the necessity of addressing the inequities in Confederation..No, they just thought that an advocacy organization focused on really difficult, detailed, and often quite academic subjects was never going to work..“People won’t get it,” they told me..“Too wonkish,” was often heard too..In some ways they were right. Their feedback helped us ensure our communication was always as clear as it could be, but they also weren’t thinking about the big picture..Western Canadians understand the issues we’re talking about are so important for the future of our country, they’re willing to take the time to learn about and really understand all the details of what’s wrong with our current situation and how we can fix it..Our work shows it's actually possible to engage Canadians — both in the West and in the rest of Canada — on how Confederation is supposed to work..We’re proving people do care about the foundational principles upon which our country was built and we can make a difference — first by changing minds, then by changing policies and finally by changing laws..Although, it did seem like this was a year where the laws didn’t seem to matter — at least when it comes to constitutional jurisdiction..The federal government invoked the Emergencies [War Measures] Act, sending shockwaves through the country and creating another wave of anger in Western Canada — one that sent former Alberta premier Jason Kenney packing..We saw Quebec demand more representation in the House of Commons — despite the fact their population is growing more slowly than the rest of Canada, meaning they are entitled to fewer seats..We watched as a major energy project got approved off the coast of Newfoundland — even though federal government policies landlocked Alberta and Saskatchewan’s energy development..We contemplated as the Alberta Court of Appeals ruled the “Impact Assessment Act” unconstitutional, while Ottawa renewed their focus on limiting the use of certain fertilizers..We witnessed the federal government grant an exemption to British Columbia, allowing them to ignore the Criminal Code with respect to illicit drug use..Meanwhile, Quebec spent June unilaterally amending the Canadian Constitution — which clearly caught Saskatchewan’s eye, as it was a strategy they announced plans to use in the Saskatchewan First Act released later in the year..We also saw many of our policies become key campaign planks of multiple candidates in both the United Conservative Party and Conservative Party of Canada leadership campaigns — a true testament to our hard work. Not every organization can say it set the agenda of two major political races that are already starting to change the shape of political debate across Canada!.As the leaves began to fall, we started to look to the winter and potential energy shortages driving the affordability crisis. We pointed out less resource-rich regions of the country — like Ontario and Quebec — will have a harder time addressing inflation and warned that the federal government may look at Alberta as a cash cow to pay for an expensive inflation relief program..We were also very pleased to see the Saskatchewan government introduce a white paper outlining major steps that Premier Scott Moe was going to take when it comes to protecting Saskatchewan's interests, including many that we've campaigned on..The Saskatchewan Throne speech also announced the introduction of a new kind of provincial police force — designed to augment existing RCMP forces — a step towards the full provincial police force we've advocated for..November was by far our busiest month of the year, and Saskatchewan again got the ball rolling early with the introduction of the Saskatchewan First Act. The act is designed to confirm Saskatchewan’s autonomy and exclusive jurisdiction over its natural resources, along with implementing some of the proposals in their earlier white paper, including policy changes we’ve advocated for in recent years..Not to be outdone, incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued mandate letters to her new cabinet — and we were pleased to see the creation of both an Alberta Police Service and an Alberta Pension Plan are major priorities for her new administration..There were developments in other provinces outside the prairies in November as well, with Ontario continuing to normalize the use of the notwithstanding clause — a move that puts them at odds with the federal government..In Quebec, newly-elected Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his caucus are refusing to swear allegiance to the crown — even though they are constitutionally mandated to do so, and another unilateral constitutional amendment (see above) is on the way..These constitutional tensions, together with Alberta and Saskatchewan taking strong approaches when it comes to autonomy, could be driving us towards a constitutional convention, and the implications of that path..And, to top it all off, Danielle Smith’s Bill 1 — the Alberta Sovereignty Act — was passed and received Royal Assent. The Act puts Ottawa on notice that Alberta will no longer be tolerating federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction..Almost lost in the news about the Alberta Sovereignty Act, we were also extremely pleased to see our work to show that there's a strong appetite amongst Saskatchewanians for a provincial revenue agency was effective, as the provincial government introduced the Saskatchewan Revenue Agency Act — legislation that promises to give Saskatchewan more autonomy when it comes to tax collection..In 2022, we silenced the doubters. What a year it was!
