Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Western separatism is bunk, but western alienation is very real

Oct 25, 2019 | 7:16 AM

LET US BE QUITE CLEAR about one thing: the talk about western separatism is bunk. It’s hooey. It’s bluster. It’s all sizzle and no steak.

In its heart, Alberta knows it can’t reach its goal of laying pipelines across Canada by leaving Canada in a huff.

Jason Kenney can posture about Trudeau pushing him out of his country all he wants, but he knows that basing a national economy on an industry with such a limited time horizon is not wise.

Not to mention that there is so much more to a country than its economic driver.

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But while talk of separation is bunk, western alienation is quite real.

There are a lot of people who don’t like Justin Trudeau because it seems he just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get us in the west.

And when he dons a cowboy hat or a hard hat and protective eyewear, it just looks like another costume from his tickle trunk.

Some of the abuse Trudeau takes is not fair, and is brought on by factors over which he has no control.

Not least of which is that the Liberal Party hasn’t had a leader from west of Ontario since… ever. Not even once.

In this week’s election, only 14 of their 157 seats were won west of Ontario.

It’s a chicken-and-egg problem directly connected with why the Liberals are seen as the party of Quebec and Ontario, and why western Conservatives can easily paint them as out of touch with our issues.

This is not a lost cause for Trudeau. The vast majority of residents of western Canada are committed to national unity, and that’s a great leaping off point.

Trudeau can appoint a couple of those 14 MPs to key cabinet positions. He can get the Trans Mountain construction on track. He can invite Conservatives into an all-party committee to address western economic issues.

It’s not a stretch when Cathy McLeod says Trudeau used the spectre of job losses to justify his intervention in the SNC-Lavalin prosecution, but doesn’t seem to acknowledge the spectre of natural resource job losses in Western Canada.

But most importantly, he can show the west that he gives a damn.

Just make the slightest effort to put out an olive branch of some kind to the west.

It’s not an issue that will be solved tomorrow or next week or next year, but there’s plenty of opportunity to improve spirits out west.

And maybe we can defuse this ridiculous talk of separation once and for all.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.