Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s historic bid to retain power is based in part on his assertion that, “This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists.”
As the nation awaits Governor-General Michaëlle Jean’s reply to Harper’s request, perhaps it is worth reconsidering Harper’s own separatist writings.
"Separation, Alberta-Style: It is time to seek a new relationship with Canada,” was the title of a Dec 8, 2000, op-ed Harper wrote for the National Post.
“Albertans should decide that it is time to seek a new relationship with Canada,” Harper wrote.
Harper began by asserting that the Canadian Alliance’s drubbing at the polls was the result of “a shrewd and sinister” Liberal attacks.
“The strategy -- sometimes subtle, but sometimes blatant -- was to pull up every prejudice about the West and every myth about Alberta that could be dredged,” Harper wrote.
In language that takes on new meaning in the wake of his own blistering attacks against Quebec, Harper continued: “There is no reason to believe the same strategy could not be repeated at any time under any circumstances against any political movement...”
“Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status, led by a second-world strongman appropriately suited for the task,” Harper wrote.
At the heart of Harper’s 2000 argument:
Albertans would be fatally ill-advised to view this situation as amusing or benign...
It is to take the bricks and begin building another home -- a stronger and much more autonomous Alberta. It is time to look at Quebec and to learn. What Albertans should take from this example is to become "maitres chez nous."
In one policy area after another, the province of Quebec, with much less financial independence than Alberta, has taken initiatives to ensure it is controlled by its own culture and its own majority. Such a strategy across a range of policy areas will quickly put Alberta on the cutting edge of a world where the region, the continent and the globe are becoming more important than the nation-state. ...
Westerners, but especially Albertans, founded the Reform/Alliance to get "in" to Canada. The rest of the country has responded by telling us in no uncertain terms that we do not share their "Canadian values." Fine. Let us build a society on Alberta values.
Monte Paulsen is investigative editor of The Tyee.
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Romeogolf
3 years ago
Separatist Stephen
In the man's own words: http://www.projectalberta.com/board/viewtopic.php?p=5777&sid=23228ed3d6e51d97171074ec1497a459
adamjuice
3 years ago
Harper bad for Unity
If the Reform party becoming a major player in Ottawa was a way to get the West in, then by the same logic isn't the Bloc's participation in government good for Canadian unity too?
Harper's fear-mongering and demagoguery over a "separatist coalition" is irresponsibly stoking alienation and resentment all over the country. It is HE who needs to start worrying about his effect Canadian Unity more than Dion and Layton.
Raphael Alexander
3 years ago
So what?
You judge a man by his actions, not his words. A few years ago I thought I was a socialist. Now I'm a capitalist. Opinions change, but what defines a person is character.
OilbertaRedTory
3 years ago
Character Actor
mean sneaky Stephen
Harpering on hatefully
grumpy young fogey
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ppQPuEErJFg
G. Harrison
3 years ago
Harper's actions and character relate to control-taking
The above informative post caught my eye because I woke up this morning thinking along these two lines:
First, Harper's recent actions are affected a good deal by his control-taking personality, i.e., instead of delivering a responsible economic plan he let loose with an ideological blunder to kill off the opposition. No one else could have united his rivals more swiftly.
Second, each of his loud complaints about a deal with the devil or Quebec separatists caused me to think he is only an Alberta separatist himself. That he doth protest too much is certainly relevant and damning.
That he makes himself out to be nothing better than a control-taking separatist suggests there is little hope he will soon become a more cooperative leader on behalf of all Canadians, that his character will not change, but he will continue to be the gift that keeps on giving to political pundits and media sources across this divided land.
G. Harrison