Calgary Sun Letters, Feb. 2: ‘Politicians have some growing up to do’

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Bratty kids

B.C. Premier David Eby has declared Alberta separatists engaging in talks with federal U.S. government officials to be treasonous. Political Science lecturer Jason Prest at the U of BC claims Eby is saying Alberta separatists are ‘betraying the principle of Canada.’ What about Eby’s rigid stance against building an oil pipeline from Alberta to tidewater? Isn’t that also a betrayal of the principle of a united Canada? Alongside Eby’s remarks, we have NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi adding his claim that Premier Danielle Smith ‘has caused all this’ by ‘pandering and coddling the separatists,’ and that she should ‘take a more solid stand on separatism.’ Premier Smith has made numerous statements that she is fully behind a sovereign more autonomous Alberta within a united Confederation. She has not, to my knowledge, promoted Alberta secession. Nenshi makes me think of a petulant misbehaving child, who continues to act out, and ignores what he doesn’t want to hear. Both Eby and Nenshi are talking more like bratty kids than responsible politicians.

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KEN PELLAND

(Smith has made it pretty clear where she stands)

Stand up to U.S. president

It’s time for our government to stand up to the arrogant U.S. president. Our best plan may be to close our borders to American goods. Any ships, planes, trucks and trains should not get across the border to unload their cargo on Canadian soil. NAFTA be damned! Send them back to American producers and let them tell their government how much they need the Canadian market. If they put enough pressure on because they feel the pinch, and have to shut down and lay off staff, perhaps they will listen and talk reasonably to their Canadian neighbours. Short-term pain for long term gain. It might cost our government a few dollars to fight the trade war, but maybe it will pay huge dividends. What have we got to lose?

VERNE FRIESEN

(We understand the frustration, but closing our borders to American goods isn’t realistic)

Stay the course

On Jan. 20, at the EnergyNow Insights event, Premier Danielle Smith stressed Alberta’s more active international role and posing the separation question point-blank in 2025 forced measures after years-long unsuccessful attempts to get through to the Canadian government. After the process of Alberta’s separation from Canada had been set in motion, Ottawa, recognizing the gravity of the situation, decided to make a concession and signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), that reopened practical options such as pipelines and optimizing current infrastructure. However, it hasn’t helped resolve deeper challenges. Today, Ottawa is in an even more vulnerable position. Apart from separatist sentiment within the country, it faces challenges from abroad. Thus, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added more fuel to the flame, claiming his country ‘should let Albertans come down into the U.S.’ The loss of the wealthiest province is outside Ottawa’s plans and it will do its best to save it by all means. Alberta holds all the aces now. It’s not the time to swerve off the course. The MOU is quite a good result but where are the guarantees that Ottawa will meet its commitments? Moreover, the growing number of signatures for referendum will definitely make the Canadian government meet Alberta halfway on other challenging issues. That’s why none of the Albertans should step back.

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AARON DENLEY

(Not sure Alberta holds all the aces, but the situation is certainly more pressing)

Powered by oil

Journalists have not asked the following question: How many billions of dollars would the government of Canada lose if all of Canada’s oil exports were stopped to the U.S. and this oil was left in the ground because of the lack of Canadian infrastructure to get this oil to either the Pacific or Atlantic coast for international export? If Donald Trump commandeers the oil reserves of Venezuela, this may no longer be a hypothetical question. I think Canadians would be shocked to learn Canada, as a country, was only being propped up by Canada being an oil-export nation. If Canadians want to save Canada, they need to build pipelines with the urgency of a national emergency. God bless the private investors willing to pay for these pipelines. The least we can do is have Prime Minister Carney declare these pipelines fully approved when they are built to the same standard of the government of Canada’s TMX pipeline, and are fully operational to export oil before Jan. 1, 2030. America embraced John F. Kennedy’s declaration to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Can Canada embrace prosperity, security and opportunity by building pipelines to export Canadian oil to Asia and Europe?

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CHRIS ROBERTSON, Stony Plain

(Getting our oil to market shouldn’t be this difficult)

Rule by the people

Anyone getting mad about recall petitions should direct their anger at the UCP for bringing forth the Recall Act. The specific intent of the act is to allow voters in Alberta to remove their MLAs mid-term if they believe the representatives have failed in their duties. Democracy means rule by the people, and there is no requirement in the democratic process to simply wait until the election cycle if you are dissatisfied with your representative. We all know how mad you were about floor-crossers.

EMILY NOWICKI

(We have no issues with removing MLAs who aren’t up to their jobs. A political witch-hunt is another matter)

Socialism for oil companies

Conservatives love socialism, but only socialism for oil companies, not for regular people. Oil companies get all sorts of special treatment, from taxpayer-funded advertising, government-supported pipeline construction, and being let off the hook for environmental liabilities left for the taxpayer to clean up. Wouldn’t it be nice if we Albertans could have some of that socialism, too? The government would advertise your business, buy you business tools, and pay you to take out your trash!

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GERARD KURULIAK

(You’re unlikely to get many takers for socialism around these parts)

Carney went too far

Mr. Snobelen urges Conservative Party members to listen to Mark Carney’s Davos speech at their convention, because he thinks it’s more relevant than the CPC gave it credit for. Fair enough. Carney called for “smaller nations to link together to counter the power of China and America.” Also fair enough. What Mr. Snobelen failed to acknowledge was that Mr. Carney’s speech followed his surprising pledge to align Canada with China. Hardly a “smaller nation we need to link to,” especially at the expense of our longstanding partnership with the U.S. I think Carney’s speech was, at the very least, an unneeded indulgence, and maybe worse! Mr. Carney, as leader of a minority government, has no mandate from the majority of Canadians to make such a trade offer. An indulgence made to benefit his reputation with his like-minded friends in Davos, and on the world stage, at Canada’s expense.

BILL HUNTER

(The issue is our longstanding partnership with the U.S. is falling apart)

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