Dear Editor,
Ever since Daniel Smith was elected leader of the UCP after dethroning Jason Kenny, she has consistently tried to cater to a fringe group who never have had the support of mainstream Albertans and regrettably it has continued to this day. First it was an attempt to throw out the Canada Pension Plan created in 1966 with an independent Alberta Pension Plan which most Albertans wanted no part of. Then they wanted to scrap our national RCMP police agreement with a Provincial Police force which was universally opposed by rural communities that has served them well for over 100 years.
Now we fast forward to the most divisive policy ever advanced by our provincial government in advocating a lower threshold to permit a citizens referendum on separation. Surely most of us vividly remember how close we came to breaking up our country through failed referendums in Quebec in the 1990’s which caused massive economic and financial devastation, hundreds of businesses closing or moving, jobs lost and thousands of citizens moving to other provinces. Is this the playbook our Premier is hiding but indirectly promoting for this province?
I want to commend our MLA Peter Guthrie for taking a principled stand against his own government on several issues of concern included the AHS health fiasco, and more recently, pointing out the very serious economic ramifications for our province of even raising the issue of separation let alone creating a more favourable path to allow a citizen referendum as early as the coming year. If there was ever a time in our history it’s now the time to promote national unity and a Team Canada approach; not sowing the seeds of division which our Premier has publicly engaged in recently .
In conclusion if the Smith UCP government wants to push their divisive anti-Canadian agenda, I respectfully submit they absolutely must seek a clear mandate from all Albertans this fall through an early election.
Albertans need and deserve the chance to make their voices heard loud and clear that they want no part of breaking up our proud country that has served us well for 158 years.
Glen McGlaughlin
Cochrane, AB
