In the lead-up to the 1995 Quebec independence referendum, most Albertans were concerned that Quebec might choose to leave the federation. Airline discounts were offered, and a delegation of Westerners attended a unity rally in Quebec shortly before the vote. Canadian flags were waved, and a general love-in was held while federalists begged Quebecers, “Please don’t go!” The rally had little impact, if any, as Quebec came within a hair of secession.Secessionism is heating up again in Quebec as the province elected the Parti Québécois (PQ) to a minority government and obliterated the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government. The CAQ was a nationalist government that held a position of supporting a sovereign Quebec within a united Canada (sound familiar?), while the PQ is overtly secessionist. While there were other factors aside from unity at play that led to the CAQ loss, it’s undeniable that Quebec just took a step closer toward holding another referendum on secession.Alberta’s response to Quebec’s pursuit of independence over the decades has evolved. Fewer voices are begging “Please stay!” and more are saying, “Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!”The frustration is understandable as Quebec has continually wrung concessions out of Ottawa while Albertans have been paying the bill. Meanwhile, Quebec’s governments have actively fought against Alberta’s attempts to get oil and gas products to eastern markets and ports.It’s time for Alberta’s approach to evolve further, and rather than being confrontational, we should be saying, “How can we help you in your quest for independence?”Or even better, “How can we work together in the pursuit of independence for both provinces?”.Can you imagine the terror instilled in the Ottawa establishment if Alberta and Quebec stopped squabbling and began working together?The Laurentian elites depend on provincial division to maintain centralized power. Quebec and Alberta working in tandem can shatter that formula. Some representatives of Alberta’s independence movement felt it would be wise to hold meetings with undisclosed American representatives in Washington. Those efforts backfired and have caused mistrust of the independence movement just as a referendum approaches in Alberta. Albertans have no interest in leaving Canada just to become a small fish in an even bigger pond.Alberta’s independence movement should be sending envoys from the province to Quebec. Learn from the players who have been in the independence game for generations and explore ways the two provinces can work together. There are differences between Quebec and Alberta, but there is also a whole lot of common ground when it comes to the central government in Ottawa. Beyond working with Quebec, Alberta can emulate it.Quebec has been incrementally distancing itself from Ottawa for decades. Why doesn’t Alberta have its own pension plan? Why does Alberta still not have a full provincial police force? Why doesn’t Alberta collect its own corporate taxes?Aside from policy changes, Alberta’s government needs a change in attitude. Alberta’s government must stop acting deferentially. There is no need to beg Ottawa to exert provincial authority. Just do it. Benoit Trudeau (only a very distant relation to the other Trudeaus) says it best when sharing his experience as a former Quebecer at gatherings of Alberta independence supporters when he counsels: “Act first, apologize never.”Quebec treated every gained power as the new baseline and every federal intrusion as reversible. It did not wait for a national constitutional conference to take fields it already owned: education, language of work, civil law, and regional development. Alberta’s equivalent fields are resources, labour mobility, provincial policing, tax collection, and the administration of justice. Alberta is examining changes to how it deals with temporary immigrants in the coming referenda, but will the province act if given a mandate, or is it more empty posturing like Jason Kenney’s “Fair Deal Panel,” which sought input from Albertans and then ignored it?Albertans must start playing the long game, as Quebec has, rather than being reactionary. Decouple provincial institutions from federal ones wherever possible. Establish detailed plans and studies laying out how currency, passports, the share of the federal debt, pensions, borders, and citizenship can be dealt with over time rather than scrambling to do so while a referendum looms.The election of the PQ in Quebec offers Alberta an opportunity and an ally in the pursuit of sovereignty. Let’s embrace it.
