WELLS: Alberta's independence fight is in court — and democracy is the one on trial

R.T. Wells is a veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy.Once again, the Western independence movement has been dragged into court to defend its right to exist. The very idea that a collective of law-abiding citizens should have to justify whether they can ask a question demonstrates just how far our democracy has fallen. It’s also ironic that a group of people who represent less than 7% of this province, who receive billions of dollars in financial support from its citizens, and privately own massive swaths of the country without oversight or transparency, referred to this movement as the ‘tyranny of the minority.’Gagging Albertans will not end the independence movement. It’s like putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose believing less water will come out, when all that’s actually achieved is higher pressure and greater range; discontent will spread far and wide.When people have no legal recourse for expressing themselves, they inevitably resort to illegal means. After all, what choice do they have? The issue remains unaddressed, and the act of repressing them has only confirmed their greatest fears. In short, they’re given more reason than ever to shirk authority and to take matters into their own hands.To end the referendum petition now is to silence thought. That’s all this petition is: a question posed to everyone on what they think Alberta should do. The petition itself holds no weight or consequence. No legal action is taken regarding its existence, and only a referendum would trigger potential negotiations, and even that isn't a guarantee. Premier Danielle Smith's Election Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 54) allows her government to have final approval of any proposed question, which could conceivably end the referendum at her desk..Even a successful referendum, like the one put to Albertans in October of 2021, asking the populace if they wanted to remove the principle of federal equalization payments from the Canadian Constitution, went nowhere. Despite a staggering 61.7% vote in favour, nothing happened. To this day, the province continues to be fleeced annually by the federal government while being disregarded and deemed politically inconsequential.So, what’s there to fear? If the independence movement is really such a small, fringe group of hurting Albertans, this movement will be over in a snap. On the other hand, if the majority want to leave and they’re prevented from doing so, it would be naïve to think that they’d do nothing.According to the latest Pollara poll, at this very moment, as many as 40% of Albertans are willing to vote ‘yes’ in an independence vote. Does the federal government truly believe approximately 2 million people will simply go away, quiet down, or join their cause when denied their legal right to a referendum? History is replete with examples of what happens when a small ruling class governs with only personal interests in mind. The end result is good for no one, but particularly bad for the ruling class.So, when an unelected minority dictates the rights and freedoms of the majority, it doesn’t take an astute observer to note that it’s not only undemocratic but also outright dangerous. Resentment, frustration, and anger only grow with each additional roadblock and have done nothing to sway the independence movement. As the temperature rises, Western independence sits at a simmer. For everyone’s sake, let Albertans vote before it comes to a boil.R.T. Wells is a veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy.

WELLS: Alberta's independence fight is in court — and democracy is the one on trial

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