One of the great things about the Calgary Stampede is that it serves as a central location to connect with a laundry list of prominent individuals — federal MPs, provincial MLAs, municipal politicians, journalists and activists alike. The conversations and understandings developed during Stampede often form the nucleus of political activities throughout the remainder of the year.A key topic of conversation has been the ongoing self-immolation of the federal Liberal Party, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tries to hold on to his job — spending every last bit of political capital he has left in the process.Chatter about Trudeau’s struggles however, often leads to a different conversation entirely: what does a post-Trudeau political landscape look like?I’m sure you have thoughts, and I look forward to reading your comments as we ponder that question.It is important to note that this year's Stampede feels more optimistic than previous versions. People have hope. It is entirely possible that we are less than sixteen months away from a change in government in Ottawa. As a result, we could be looking at a friendlier federal government when it comes to things like respecting provincial jurisdiction.The time has come to start charting a future course.I’ve had a lot of conversations with people who, like us, believe that many of the problems we face today in Canada start with the federal government's overwhelming desire to centralize political control into Ottawa — despite the protests of provincial governments across the country.Now, it appears that the public is openly rejecting the “Ottawa Knows Best” mentality of the Laurentian elites. For years, with your help, Project Confederation has been at the forefront of the fight against Ottawa.We’ve campaigned against equalization.We’ve fought against the unconstitutional Impact Assessment Act.We’ve opposed the carbon tax.We’ve resisted the “Just Transition.”And so much more. A better deal for provinces is now on the horizon.We are now preparing to seek constitutional changes in order to build in further protections against federal intrusion into provincial jurisdiction.This country was founded on the concept that our unique regions — from coast to coast — have the ability to govern themselves effectively without one-size-fits-all policies out of Ottawa that divide us instead of celebrating our diversity.That’s the principle of federalism.Federalism, as a national practice, is the glue holding this country together. If we get a government in Ottawa that understands that practice, we will finally be in a position to achieve what we’ve set out to achieve — a fair Canada.That means that we need to develop an action plan. We need to consider the short-term impacts of the in-fighting within the Liberal Party and the long-term impacts of a change in government.And we need to ensure that constitutional issues are on the radar during the next election campaign. If we do this right, we can shift the window of what is politically possible and ensure that future governments actually deliver solutions, instead of forgetting about them once elected.
