Timothy Siebert is an Edmonton-based engineering technologistOne glance at how much larger Canada's oil and gas exports are to the US ($139 billion in 2022) compared to anything else we export — even the auto industry ($27 billion) — reveals why our premier is taking such a strong stand for Alberta in the current negotiations. It also shows why Trudeau and most other premiers (aside from Scott Moe in Saskatchewan) are so vexed that she won't bend the knee to their patronizing schemes.Oil and gas — mainly from Alberta — is by far Canada's largest export to the US. Danielle Smith has laboured to do everything in her power to alleviate Trump's concerns, and tariffing oil and gas would seem counterproductive to Trump's primary goal of igniting the US economy and reducing inflation. So, there's a reasonable chance our oil and gas may be excluded from the impending tariffs! .HANNAFORD: Rally round the flag, eh?.But that joy is short lived. If that happens, Trudeau and the other premiers would love to slap an export tariff on it anyway, pillaging Alberta's oil and gas revenues to subsidize other mainly eastern sectors such as Ontario's auto sector that may be hit by Trump's tariffs.If that sounds familiar, it should — Justin Trudeau's father likewise implemented an export tariff on Alberta's oil back in 1980 with the National Energy Program. That threw Alberta into its worst recession since The Great Depression. Albertans have seen this movie before and don't want to relive it!Just think: the dauphin Trudeau and his trusty sidekick, the zealot Guilbeault, are probably salivating at the thought of an oil and gas export tariff since it would simultaneously serve to hamstring the very industry they've had in the crosshairs for the past nine years anyway!But Alberta has never voted for this Trudeau government that's been ridiculing Trump and his policies and supporters for years, antagonizing the leader of the world's superpower, our only neighbor and primary trading partner.Alberta has never voted for this government that's shut down Parliament during the greatest threat to our economy since 2008 and which is now attempting to prop up a lame duck prime minister to feebly negotiate with a strong incoming US president riding on a wave of popular support with control of all three branches of government.Alberta has done its best to diversify our exports to other markets away from the US, but found ourselves blocked by the federal government and other provincial leaders. (Quebec and British Columbia, we're looking at you!) Remember Energy East and Northern Gateway?Even TransMountain only got completed late, vastly over-budget and on the taxpayer's dime.So now when Trudeau and the other provinces come cap in hand, begging Alberta to sacrifice ourselves for the mess they stupidly blundered the country into, Albertans are overjoyed that we have an Alberta First premier who is willing to take a stand for our province rather than meekly following along!Trudeau can continue frantically trying to mend the tapestry of the once great Canadian patriotism he previously spent nine years tearing to shreds. (A "post national state with no core identity..." It was not exactly a summons to patriotism, was it?)Meanwhile Alberta will continue to choose our own path. It must embrace ever-greater autonomy, above and beyond the stifling "western resources colony" status which Ottawa would love to keep us forever locked into.Timothy Siebert is an Edmonton-based engineering technologist.
