Dave Rutherford, Calgary talk radio host, made the following observation on the tokenism of the Liberal approach to Western Canada, and the things that divide Western and Central Canada:

“Just having the caucus meeting in Regina is not going to do it. It’s tokenism, and frankly that’s embarrassing,” David Rutherford said, appearing on Question Period.

He says there is a “general anxiety” about the fact that Quebec “has undue influence in the politics of the nation,” he said.

Another concern, he says, is “the population imbalance, of course ,which gives Toronto and the GTA a tremendous balance in voting power.”

Rutherford believes alienation may be alleviated by “an understanding of this part of the world.”

One of the outstanding concerns that western Canadians feel has gone unaddressed is gun control, he said.

“Gun control in and of itself is a Toronto-generated hysteria that cost us $2 billion and didn’t save anybody’s life, but it did persecute a lot of western people who have a lifestyle that includes rifles and shotguns,” he said.

With a federal election approaching as early as the beginning of next year, such issues may return to the forefront.

“If there’s another Liberal minority or Liberal majority government (after the next election,) look out, you’re going to hear a lot from Alberta,” Rutherford said.

The story is carried by CTV News, here. His comments speak to the previous posts on Alberta and Ontario, and on Canada’s gun control laws. Overall, they point to how discussion of separation or alienation revolves not simply around a lack of influence, or Westerners not having much sway in Ottawa, but of Western Canada, particularly Alberta, being outright offended by the politics of Central Canada.