One federal Liberal minister says now is not the time for Albertans to push forward with an independence referendum.
Federal Liberal minister Eleanor Olszewski says now is not the time for Albertans to debate their future because of economic uncertainty, tariffs, and global instability.
That's exactly why Albertans are having the conversation.
In the National Post, Alberta's lone Liberal cabinet minister, Eleanor Olszewski, argued that Albertans should not be considering a referendum on Alberta's future because of uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs and global instability. She said, "this is not the time" to put the question to voters.
But Albertans didn't create those problems.
Albertans didn't create a decade of federal anti-energy policies. Albertans didn't impose the emissions cap. Albertans didn't pass Bill C-69. Albertans didn't drive away investment, block pipelines, or preside over years of declining national productivity.
The argument being offered by Liberals is essentially this: Canada is facing serious economic challenges; therefore, Albertans should postpone any discussion about changing their relationship with Canada until those challenges are resolved.
Many Albertans would argue the opposite. Those challenges are the reason the conversation is happening at all.
Olszewski also suggested Prime Minister Mark Carney understands Alberta because he grew up in Edmonton and has spoken positively about Alberta's energy industry.
Albertans can judge that for themselves.
What matters is not where a politician went to high school. What matters is whether federal policies respect Alberta's constitutional jurisdiction, resource economy, and right to develop its natural wealth.
Even Olszewski acknowledges that western alienation runs much deeper than a single pipeline project. She explicitly said, "It's not a pipeline issue."
On that point, she's right.
Western alienation has persisted through Liberal and Conservative governments alike because many Albertans believe decisions affecting their livelihoods are routinely made by governments elected largely in central Canada. The issue predates Carney and Trudeau and has been a recurring feature of Canadian politics for generations.
The real question is not whether now is the perfect time to discuss Alberta's future.
The real question is why Albertans should be expected to wait indefinitely for Ottawa to solve problems that many believe Ottawa helped create in the first place.
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