LYTLE: ‘Elbows up’ is the National Energy Program 2.0 in disguise

It didn’t take long for the “elbows up” crowd to make its views about Goliath known to the hoi polloi of Canada.“We must stand together and make the Americans pay! Our energy runs their country and, by withholding it, we can make them, rather than us, hurt for a change.”When questioned about his response to the collapsed trade talks, Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan made the altogether sensible observation that Canada needs trade into the US much more than the US needs trade into Canada. The follow-up question from the logic-challenged CBC reporter was, “So you think we should give in? Elbows down?”My response to the reporter would have been to acidly suggest that I would bring my elbows up when reporters give up their incomes, as they are, in fact, demanding of Saskatchewan and Alberta workers. Mr. Moe was more tactful than me.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, to her great credit, said, “Hard no. We won’t be withholding energy from the US.” Her response is a relief, but the pressure is going to be dialled up for her to “be a team player” and “stand up to these bullies for a change.” She will need Albertans to support her firm stance.But this empty-headed rhetoric from Mr. Ford and friends represents a clear and present danger to the well-being of Albertans..Laurentia strip mines us of our wealth through unequal “Equalization” payments, and now they would strip mine us of our future by destroying the oil and gas exports which are the foundation of Canada’s economy. Isn’t this what Pierre Trudeau attempted to do in the 1980 National Energy Program? Will I ever forget how the lives of many friends and relatives were ravaged by that egregious attempt to rob Alberta of its wealth? Forgive my sense of déjà vu. Yes, we need to send a shot across someone’s bow. But the bow that should attract our fire is not that of Mr. Trump and the Americans. Like Rick in the movie Casablanca, the Americans might despise us if they ever thought about us. They don’t think about us because, sorry, Mr. Ford, we are not important to them. They, however, are existential to our future.In this battle, we must send our shot across the bow of Laurentia, who would gamble with our futures. The star player need not stand with the team if the team is dedicated to the total destruction of the star player. If the Americans have put Laurentian panties in a twist, then that is on them. They need to man up, ignore the American jibes, join the Mexicans, and start looking at their world, not through the eyes of Beijing as Mr. Carney would like, but through the eyes of Washington, across whose fence we must learn to converse.More importantly and closer to home, what else is needed to convince Albertans that, on October 19, we must send a very clear message to the rest of Canada. “There will be no more talk of elbows up and re-enactments of the National Energy Program. We vote to commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.” We must vote “Yes."This response to the referendum commits us to nothing while giving us a free option, and, as demonstrated by actions this past weekend, we will need as many options as possible to blunt this latest attempt by Laurentia to destroy Alberta’s economy.

LYTLE: ‘Elbows up’ is the National Energy Program 2.0 in disguise

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