The Separation Party of Alberta

I went back to The Monarchist to re-read this classic post, because I’m bored. The comments to that post are quite simply striking. What has occurred there is similar to what I’ve observed in Alberta over the past few years: An increasing tendency for intelligent, urbane Canadians to not only accept the arguments of western separatists but also to embrace them.

Anyway: The comments provoked me to go here: The Separation Party of Alberta. The leader looks like an old farmer, which didn’t suprise me. What did suprise me was the leader’s statement:

Welcome to the Separation Party of Alberta website. This party and this site were created first and foremost for all Albertans.

Please take the time to objectively review our site to put yourself in a position to honestly determine if our concerns are meritous or frivolous. I believe you will find our concerns have merit even if you are a strong Canadian Nationalist.

Rest assured, it takes many tragic occurrences to turn a once proud Canadian into an Alberta Separatist. I won’t bore you with a Canadian history lesson dating back to Pierre Elliot Trudeau but I will tell you that putting 13 Alberta farmers in jail for selling their own grain, something that central Canadian farmers can do, pushed me off the fence and led to the formation of this party.

Many supporters felt we should call our party “The Alberta Party” or “The Alberta First Party” or anything that does not include the word “separation”. I convinced the Founding Committee that Albertans had been lied to by politicians long enough and, as a refreshing change, our name should reflect, beyond the shadow of a doubt, who we are and what we stand for.

Meaningful change is impossible within Canadian Confederation given the constraints in our Canadian Constitution. Separation is the only viable alternative and will give Alberta to Albertans.

Again, for the sake of your loved ones, please take the time to study our website and put yourself in a position to make an informed decision on your future and the future of Alberta.

Thank You.
– Bruce Hutton, Leader

To me, this entry is nothing short of striking, for three reasons. First: Hutton is no wide-eyed maniac. He presents himself modestly, inviting readers to assess the arguments to be found on the site and stating the defensible view that reform under Canada’s constitutional and federal arrangements is all but impossible. I also discovered only that the SPA has taken steps to distance itself from Doug Christie and his brand of separatism, a welcome development.

Second: He gives us a glimpse at his own “tipping point”: the jailing of Albertan farmers for daring to do what Eastern Canadians do every day. I considered that particular incident to be a flashpoint of sorts, something that would engender a reaction equivalent to that of the awarding of the CF-18 contract to a Montreal rather than a Winnipeg firm. Apparently, I was wrong.

Third: Hutton has a bit of Reformer in him and doesn’t shy away from being blunt about the goals of his party. That’s more than a little refreshing. It may also hurt his cause in the short-term. But Hutton is right to be unambiguous about the goals of his party, and trust Albertans to judge him accordingly.

In the last Alberta election, the SPA recieved 0.5% of the vote. That’s a disappointing result for any party. But the flip-side is that 4680 Albertans in the last provincial election were willing to cast a “wasted vote” for an unambiguously separatist party. That’s enough to catch my attention, although I remain at this point a firewaller. I wait with a fair amount of curiosity for the elite cues that would convince me to join that 4680.

Crossposted to Rempelia Prime