The federal government announced it will soon introduce legislation to move oil and gas workers into so-called “green” jobs..This process goes under the misleading name of “just transition.” What it really means is politicians who were not elected by Albertans get to kill jobs in Alberta..The fact the leaders imposing the “transition” on Alberta were not elected by Albertans undermines the legitimacy of this policy. And the fact the Supreme Court of Canada subverted Alberta’s constitutional rights over its control of natural resources means there is no solution to this problem within Canada. Alberta needs to become independent to save itself..The politician in charge of killing Alberta’s energy jobs is Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, an MP from Vancouver. Other key leaders in this scheme include Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, an MP from Montreal, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, an MP from Toronto, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an MP from Montreal. These latter three were elected by people who live more than 3000 kilometres from Alberta. Wilkinson was elected by people living hundreds of kilometres from Alberta..That is, the job losses are going to be inflicted by people who Albertans did not elect. This is a problem..The idea of democracy is citizens get to choose their own leaders who will then govern in the best interests of those they represent. But in Canada, the distribution of population creates a situation where people who live in more heavily populated parts of the country, such as Central Canada, get to elect politicians who receive virtually no support in less populated parts of the country — especially Alberta and Saskatchewan..Since people living in places like Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver want to end Alberta’s fossil fuel production, they elect people to undertake that dirty work..In a constitutional democracy like Canada this should not be a huge problem because in theory, the constitution protects the rights of the provinces that did not vote for the government. According to section 92(A) of Canada’s constitution, each province has exclusive jurisdiction over the development and management of its natural resources. This seems clear enough..Unfortunately, it’s not. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled 6-3 in its References re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act decision of March 2021 that Trudeau could impose his carbon tax on the whole country, thus undermining section 92(A)’s protections..As Russell Brown — one of the three dissenting judges — correctly explained, Trudeau’s carbon tax clearly violated the constitution. In his dissent he wrote, “The act’s subject matter falls squarely within provincial jurisdiction. It cannot be supported by any source of federal legislative authority, and it is therefore ultra vires Parliament. This court, a self proclaimed ‘guardian of the constitution’ should condemn, not endorse, the attorney general of Canada’s leveraging of the importance of climate change ⸺ and the relative popularity of Parliament’s chosen policy response ⸺ to fundamentally alter the division of powers analysis under ss. 91 and 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and, ultimately, the division of powers itself.”.Yes, the Supreme Court of Canada “fundamentally altered” the constitutional division of powers in favour of the Trudeau government by this decision. Alberta was essentially robbed of its exclusive jurisdiction over its own natural resources..But there’s more. As Brown went on to say, the Supreme Court’s majority decision “rejects our Constitution and rewrites the rules of Confederation. Its implications go far beyond the act, opening the door to federal intrusion — by way of the imposition of national standards — into all areas of provincial jurisdiction, including intra provincial trade and commerce, health, and the management of natural resources.”.Read that again — “all areas of provincial jurisdiction” — are now under the threat of “federal intrusion.”.What more does anyone need to know to realize that it’s time for Alberta to jump ship?.If Alberta became independent, it could elect leaders who governed in the best interests of Albertans, not according to the woke fantasies of people in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Politicians elected by Albertans would be enthusiastic champions of the energy industry and its workers..Currently, though, we are at the mercy of leaders we did not elect who mean to harm us. And the Supreme Court itself is complicit in the undermining of our constitutional protections..The choice is clear. We can allow politicians elected elsewhere to kill our jobs and our economy, or we can become independent and take our future into our own hands..For the sake of your children and grandchildren, support Alberta independence!
