Over a decade of anti-energy Liberal policies have made it increasingly difficult for Alberta to capitalize on its natural resources.
Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says "a divided Canada cannot build what the world needs." He argues Canada should unite to develop energy, critical minerals and major projects for a world hungry for resources. Hodgson has the problem backwards.
Albertans are not talking about separation because they oppose building things. They're talking about separation because for years Liberal governments made it harder to build the very projects the world needs.
This year’s gathering of energy leaders from across the word for both the Global Energy Show and World Geothermal Conference in Calgary comes at a pivotal moment.
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) June 11, 2026
The world is hungry for secure, reliable energy, and the geopolitical uncertainty we’re seeing only reinforces that… pic.twitter.com/6I7Qi6Iqd2
If Canada truly wants to be an energy and resource superpower, Albertans might reasonably ask why Ottawa spent the last decade cancelling pipelines, layering on regulatory hurdles, imposing emissions caps, passing tanker bans and chasing investment away from the oil and gas sector.
Speaking with Quebec's business community, I explained why past politicians and their destructive, anti-Alberta policies created legitimate grievances and caused many Albertans to lose faith in Canada.
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) June 4, 2026
Our job now is to restore that faith. That's why we're working with Prime… pic.twitter.com/0iZC0aDdRd
Hodgson's central argument is that Canada must work together to supply energy, critical minerals and other strategic resources to the world.
Many Albertans would agree.
The frustration is that Alberta already has what the world wants. The province holds vast oil and gas reserves, critical minerals, agricultural resources and some of the highest GDP per capita in Canada. Yet successive Liberal governments have restricted pipeline capacity and delayed major energy infrastructure, leaving Canadian resources landlocked and selling at a discount compared to global competitors.
Ottawa now says Canada must build. Albertans have been trying to build for years.
The growing independence movement is not being driven by a desire to stop development. It is being fuelled by the perception that Alberta's economic interests are routinely sacrificed by governments in Ottawa that depend on votes elsewhere.
If Hodgson wants to strengthen national unity, he may want to start by asking why so many Albertans believe the federal government stands in the way of getting Alberta's resources to world markets.
After all, you can't tell Alberta to help Canada build what the world needs while simultaneously making it harder for Alberta to sell what the world needs.
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