MACLEOD: From legal petition to national witch hunt — the disgraceful smearing of Alberta’s voice

Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.The movement for Alberta independence has gained real traction in early 2026, fueled by deep-seated anger over federal energy policies, equalization transfers, immigration rules, and a sense that Ottawa treats the province like a cash cow while ignoring its voice.A grassroots petition is pushing for a referendum on sovereignty, with all organizers insisting on a democratic, legal process. Polls show support around 30%, not a landslide, but enough to rattle the country. Most proponents are everyday, hard-working people: farmers, oil workers, small-business owners — who feel pushed to the wall. They’re not plotting rebellion; they’re talking about using Canada’s own rules: a provincial referendum under Alberta law, followed by negotiations if it passes with a clear majority, all in line with the Supreme Court’s 1998 Quebec Secession Reference and the federal Clarity Act. They frame it as responsible, peaceful citizenship — voicing legitimate grievances without breaking laws or threatening anyone. On the other side, opponents see the whole thing as dangerously divisive, economically suicidal, and legally doomed. Former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, who literally wrote the Clarity Act, has come out swinging, calling the movement “separatist blackmail” and demanding Premier Danielle Smith shut it down before it goes further. He warns that even holding a referendum risks chaos, pointing to the massive hurdles: constitutional amendments needing approval from Parliament and other provinces, treaty obligations with First Nations (a few who have vocally opposed independence as a violation of historic agreements), shared national debt, and international law that rarely recognizes unilateral secession.BC Premier David Eby went harder, labelling independence meetings with US officials under the Trump administration as outright “treason.” Legal scholars and commentators piled on, arguing independence is “virtually impossible” and would leave Alberta isolated, poorer, and without critical trade partnerships. Some framed it as a national security threat, suggesting foreign influence is manipulating the movement for geopolitical gain..What is truly alarming is how fast the rhetoric has turned ugly — and how selectively that outrage gets applied. Words like “traitor,” “treason,” and “sedition” are thrown around casually on social media, talk radio, and even by elected officials. Eby’s “treason” accusation set the tone, echoed endlessly online: posts accusing separatists of betraying Canada, selling out to American interests, or being disloyal criminals who deserve arrest. Danielle Smith herself had to push back, urging people to stop calling peaceful petition-signers “traitors.” The denigration goes beyond labels — independence supporters are smeared as delusional, racist, or grifters chasing a fantasy that would wreck the country.Yet somehow, the Bloc Québécois — whose entire reason for existing is to push Quebec sovereignty and ultimately leave Canada — gets to hold federal seats, draw salaries, and advocate openly for breaking up the country without anyone in Ottawa clutching pearls over “treason.” Funny how that works: decades of parliamentary independence from Quebec is just “democracy in action,” but Albertans daring to discuss the same idea? Sudden national emergency. And let’s not forget the 11 sitting parliamentarians identified in intelligence reports as “wilfully” compromised — knowingly assisting foreign states in interference efforts.Oh sure, those folks are still warmly welcomed in the House of Commons, no whispers of sedition there. But peaceful Albertans circulating a petition? Lock them up for treason. The hypocrisy is thick. While outright calls for physical violence remain rare in mainstream discourse, this heated, selective language has real-world spillover: one pro-independence billboard sparked a flood of violent threats against an innocent Alberta town, forcing local officials to deal with harassment they never asked for..When you brand fellow citizens as enemies of the state only when it suits your politics, it’s only a matter of time before someone takes it too far. This escalating hostility has to stop — full stop. We’re all Canadians, neighbours, family, coworkers. Whatever our future holds, we will remain friends, family, and significant trading partners, and we will rely on each other for security. Debating the future of our country is healthy; demonizing people for holding an opposing view is not. Calling peaceful democratic advocacy “treason” while turning a blind eye to actual foreign compromise or long-standing independence parties cheapens real threats to our nation and poisons the well for any future compromise. Both sides have valid fears. Albertans about fairness and respect, the rest of Canada about unity and stability, but we settle those at the ballot box and the negotiating table, not with slurs, threats, or selective outrage. I’m calling on everyone — politicians, pundits, and everyday folks on social media — to lower the temperature, reject the hate, and commit to open, respectful, fact-based dialogue. Treat each other as fellow citizens, not enemies. That’s the only way forward, whatever happens.Colin MacLeod is the author of the provocative book “The Case for Alberta’s Independence,” and the force behind @cnm5000 on X.

MACLEOD: From legal petition to national witch hunt — the disgraceful smearing of Alberta’s voice

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