It was a signature promise. It meant something. And when Justice Minister Mickey Amery told us a provincial police force was off the table, you could feel the disappointment. It was the promise related to independence that was closest to being a reality — and if not this, then what?. Rick Northey-Wildrose Independence PartyqWildrose Independence Party President Rick Northey .Oh, sure: Smith says a provincial tax agency is still on the table. But that’s a long way off. That’s a big bureaucracy to build, in an area that Alberta has no expertise. And if you build too quick, it will be “inefficient” — which is to say, wasteful and potentially corrupt. The provincial police force was the low-hanging fruit — if she can’t get that done, she can’t get a tax agency done either..A provincial police force is important for the gun control issue, too. If you want to make sure that federal police don't search for and seize people’s guns during a local emergency, don’t have them handling things. In general, if you want local emergencies to be handled by people sensitive to local issues, you need a provincial police force. A federal force takes its marching orders from Ottawa — and Ottawa agencies have no reason to care what Albertans think..Come to think of it, a provincial tax agency also requires a provincial police force. Part of the reason for starting a provincial tax agency is so that we can negotiate Canada’s ruinous transfer payment system. We don’t pay that money directly, province to federation: it takes place by the taxes that we pay. Having our own tax agency gives us leverage in that discussion — but only if we have our own police force to enforce its decisions. Without it, the federal government can enforce its will by fiat — no negotiation needed. There is little point in having a tax agency without a police force..Frankly, it looks like we’ve been had. Danielle Smith took over the United Conservative Party largely with the support of people who favour independence. She did so by claiming that she shared our concerns, and made promises to work on them. However, she’s been dropping those commitments like hot rocks. She already decided not to defend the Sovereignty Act during the election campaign. Dropping the provincial police force — the lowest of low-hanging fruit — suggests she plans to drop any other measures as soon as they come to a decision. She was only telling us what we wanted to hear..It's probably not a good tactical move for her, either. Her advisors are telling her that Albertans, on the whole, don’t want a provincial police force. This, however, may depend on how the question is framed. Those most opposed are in the big cities — who have their own municipal police forces. .Rural people — farmers and the like — want a provincial force. They’re the ones who are currently served by the RCMP. People telling her that they don’t like her policy may be saying this simply because it is a policy that the UCP has — if UCP painted the Legislature green, they would demand that it be painted red. She won’t get votes by catering to these people — but she will anger her real supporters..As broken promises go, this was a big one. Smith’s primary virtue at this point is that she is not Rachel Notley — but the difference is diminished every time she breaks a promise. Albertans who want the province to reclaim its power are going to have to look elsewhere for leadership. This will hurt Smith in the next election. Increasingly, independence-minded voters who supported Smith thus far are likely to stay home..Smith needs to change her tune, before rural voters desert her wholesale..Rick Northey is the President of the Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta
