PINDER: Fires of Western independence will not be so easily extinguished

The possibility of an independent Alberta and Saskatchewan — and other parts of the West — is now before us. Like the recent fires in Pacific Palisades, the tinder has been building for decades.That is, the explosive shrubbery in the hills north of Los Angeles was growing and ignored, just as legitimate Western grievances have been dismissed as “whining.” Holding ponds for water were empty and fire hydrants disappeared; if anyone noticed they didn't care enough to tend to basic housekeeping and safety. Likewise, the valid aspirations of the West are mostly ignored, and without acknowledgment or gratitude for significant sharing of its wealth. And so, a hot wind and a spark resulted in an unnecessary, disastrous, and perhaps irredeemable tragedy in California. .Similarly, the second Trudeau Liberal government’s full frontal, decade-long attack on the prosperity, freedom and dignity of about a third of Canada’s population and geographic footprint, is more than an ill wind. Defenceless in the face of federal government antagonism, the protests are like the ill wind in the Los Angeles hills. The inevitable explosion awaits a spark. The election of Mark Carney, albeit with the same old authoritative anti-oil gang, presents an opportunity for reconciliation. But will it be taken? Continuation of the emissions crusade, despite a forceful warning by the courageous and articulate Danielle Smith, will likely ignite a political conflagration. Will the protagonists from central Canada continue their relentless attacks, so unfortunate and obvious that even many in Ontario recognized the need for change? .The honest and maybe most pertinent comment during the recent leadership debates was Bloc Leader Blanchet'd assertion that “Canada is an artificial country.” To that, add stagnant and fragile.Other than the addition of Newfoundland in 1949, there has been no meaningful structural evolution since 1905. New political entities, now populous and economically powerful require further governance evolution. But not likely, as this would reduce the dominance of the Laurentian Elite, entirely responsible for Canada's persistent underperformance... Cozy politics ahead of prosperity and equity.Important for this discussion is the history of the distinctive culture of Quebec, in almost every way a nation. These pages have long advocated that Westerners should emulate Quebec, rather than criticize it. The distinction, of course, and the reason for resentment, is the special freedoms willingly granted that province, thanks to its political importance as a charter member of the Laurentian Elite and consistent supporter of the Liberal Party. Cozy indeed.Insidious and Machiavellian, the Liberals play along with Quebec’s independence game, receiving in turn its support. A great game, unless one lives in the politically vulnerable West. Remember, most elections are determined before the vote counting reaches the Manitoba border. This is just one illustration of the inadequate structure of our pretend democracy. It is really three tiers — Ontario the base case, Quebec preferred status, and the West inferior, vulnerable, and exploited. .Governed by a unicameral legislature — yes there is a Senate, but it accomplishes nothing — Canada lacks the regional checks and balances necessary for a functioning federal state. It is a disturbing fact that should Alberta and Saskatchewan (or indeed the West) become Trump’s 51st state, it would have more say in a country of 340 million people than in Canada, a much smaller and dispersed population. The economic strength of Alberta and Saskatchewan continues to grow. This somewhat offsets its lack of political power, a dynamic that perhaps helps understand the otherwise bizarre desire of the Laurentian Elite to limit the prosperity of the West. It is not a surprise that Atlantic Canada (excluding Newfoundland) also supports the Liberals who remain content to fund that region’s dependency.The West, at least Alberta, Saskatchewan, and much of British Columbia, also bring a distinctive culture to the federation. The history of immigration and the trials and tribulations of the drought and depression of the 1930’s, and other dynamics influenced a culture of the primacy of the individual, the value of freedom, and a dependence on agriculture, fossil fuels, potash, uranium and other resources. This and more have shaped a value system very different from urban Ontario, Quebec, downtown Vancouver, and most of Atlantic Canada..Failing to recognize our differences and repeated, aggressive, politically motivated, but unwelcome imposition of contrary beliefs, encourages the shift of our primary allegiance from Canada, in favour of contiguous prairie provinces. This is the inevitable outcome of the 120-year eastern belief that Westerners are only second-class Canadians. Like Britain before the Boston Tea Party, these dynamics are underestimated, ignored, and even denigrated.Can someone from the Laurentian Elite, the Liberal Government, their paid voices like the Globe and Mail and the CBC, or corporate leaders such as the banks and Brookfield, make a cogent argument that the current policy framework would be imposed if all the oil and gas was in Ontario and Quebec? As if.It is one thing to be weak politically but left alone to advance the economic fortunes of the region and country. But is it entirely different for the artificial political vulnerability of a region to be persistently exploited and/or damaged economically, so clearly articulated long ago by Liberal political advisor Keith Davey decades ago: “Screw the west, we’ll take the rest”. Since the Reform Party and Preston Manning’s “the West wants in,” strategy, decades have transpired with few in Central Canada even acknowledging today's unfairness and dysfunction. Atlantic Canada has a distinctive culture, as do Newfoundland, Quebec, urban Ontario, the Prairies, and the Lower Mainland. Our “artificial” constitutional structure and stagnant political structure have failed to evolve to facilitate Canada’s future. Shouldn’t a defective constitution adapt to accommodate changing reality?.Returning to the fire metaphor, it is unlikely the upscale Pacific Palisades area will ever be rebuilt.Will the result be similar if the leaders of Central Canada fail to take engage the explosive disenchantment and reconsider the political structure of our country. A smaller federal government with a focus on international and clear national issues, and bicameral legislatures which encourage regions to advance their comparative advantages, could make Canada the envy of the world. There is a unique and rich opportunity for the ambitious new Prime Minister to fix a broken country and leave a special legacy.Independence would be an unnecessary, sad, and a historic failure. My brilliant wife keeps reminding me that you cannot change someone else; change only comes within. As polling illustrates, even without formal leadership or a Quebec like proactive campaign, the West appears headed to a dramatic alteration of our political status quo.So, unlike the stagnant Laurentian elites, there exists a positive vision to move from fragility to greatness. A hot wind is blowing — will Carney be the spark, or can he become a transformational and historic leader? It's game on, and the consequences will be monumental.

PINDER: Fires of Western independence will not be so easily extinguished

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