Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tried Tuesday to convince Albertans to vote to stay in Canada with less than three weeks to go until the Alberta referendum vote on separation.
His speech at a downtown Edmonton hotel was among others he has given or plans to give in the province as part of his efforts to convince Conservative voters that Alberta is stronger within a united Canada.
Poilievre, who is from Alberta, said separatists have a problem with the federal Liberal government — not with Canada.
“Many Albertans are legitimately frustrated that a costly and controlling, big and bossy government has gone far beyond its jurisdictional boundaries,” he told a crowd of supporters holding Canadian flags and “Conservatives for Canada” signs.
Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government has called a 10-question referendum for Oct. 19.
The 10th and final question asks Albertans whether they want to stay in Canada or have a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
Smith has said she supports Alberta staying a part of Canada and plans to vote that way in the referendum, but that hundreds of thousands have signed petitions for and against separation, and it’s time to put the issue to rest.
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Critics, pointing to long-standing opinion polls indicating massive support for Alberta staying in Canada, have accused Smith of calling the vote to appease restive separatist hardliners in her party.
Poilievre said Liberal government policies have left Canadians struggling to make ends meet, everywhere from the gas pump and the grocery store to buying a house.
“Our businesses and workers are frustrated that our oil and gas is left in the ground and our opportunities are left there with it,” he said Tuesday.
The solution to those problems is not an independent Alberta, he said.
“Separation will not solve those problems. Becoming even more Canadian will,” Poilievre said.
“The solution is to double down on the way the country was always meant to work.”
He said Albertans should keep fighting by, for example, forcing Ottawa to unlock the power of Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
Earlier in the day, Poilievre attended a fundraiser for Conservatives for Canada, a group of federal politicians making the case for Alberta to stay in Confederation.
He has tapped Dane Lloyd, a member of Parliament who represents an Alberta riding, to lead that effort.
On Tuesday night, Lloyd gave a shout-out to the Conservative MPs in the room who have campaigned for the federalist side of the separation debate.
“Conservatives are patriots,” Lloyd said.
“We love our country. We love our home province of Alberta.”
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I can’t wait to shut down the TMX. Of course BC won’t let a foreign country transport oil over our land or sea. Get the heck out of Canada. We’re all sick and tired of listening to your constant whining. It never ends. You act like Alberta is the only province in Canada. You won’t be taking anything that you didn’t pay for. British Columbians don’t like you. There’s no price you could pay to transport your filthy oil over our province. We’ll take our half of the TMX and use it to import cheap gas. You won’t be ripping us off anymore. And you can forget about retiring here. I can’t stand you f-ing people. You’re fake Canadians. Get lost! You can clean up all of your abandoned wells by yourself too. You’re the ones who were too lazy to enforce the rules. That’s on you. We build the infrastructure and you think that you own it? You don’t.
I want them to separate. I don’t want another pipeline put twenty feet from my house. The workers caused the deaths of many of my elderly neighbors in our seniors home park. The pipeline goes through the middle of our neighborhood. They took great delight in making our lives a living hell. I will take great delight in sending them there. They ruined my recovery from a severely broken ankle and caused me to need another surgery. I am recovered and I will make them pay for what they have done and will do. I know a lot of very scary people who owe me many favors. I’ll be cashing them in.
Trump will rape and pillage Alberta and Albertans for every penny . These more ons think they will be better off with Americans taking their jobs, putting them in the armies to fight illegal wars , to be life long renters, have no health care that’s affordable, , no affordable housing . Only idiots would want to join America.
Yankee doodlers gov. Smith and her followers can go live in America if they don’t like it here . Put em in jail
150 Billion To Start A New Country!
Pennies!
The Fed’s ran up 2 Trillion of debt in the last 10 years…
Separatists have clearly never considered themselves Canadian in the first place based on how they speak.
Frankly I don’t care if it solves the problem. I look forward to the new problems, this time devoid of the eastern Canadian parasites.
Canada is dead. Thank a liberal voter.
Frankly I don’t if it solves the problem. I look forward to all of the new problems, this time devoid of eastern Canadian parasites
PP is the best politician in Canada short of Danielle. But I disagree with both.
Alberta Independence is the ONLY way to fix our problems. It may not solve them all, but it is the only option for change.
With all due respect, I like Pierre ,he got a raw deal that Trump scared the elbozozs enough to keep the worst version on any party in Canadian history at the helm.But Alberta voted in Harper for a decade and he could not break down the undemocratic Eastern socialist block to give the West more democracy within Canada,previously we tried the Reform Party all that did was give us more years of Liberals.So it, Canada is a lost cause I’m sorry to say.
I would love to separate. Liberal values are not my values.
@Nick Curran. With respect, people were laid off at Stelco because of illegal US tariffs. We can’t sign a deal at any price. It would seem what the US is offering would permanently hobble manufacturing in Canada. I think thats too hard a price to pay. Of course my heart goes out to those workers and families but the government, one would hope, is looking out for all of Canada in the long run.
Peer poli said Canada was broken. Only thing broken is your party. Go away peer poli and enjoy the freedumb.
Elbows Up Carney Liberals are the problem.
I resent these separatists saying they are patriotic when they see the polls are not in thuer favour. I think every conservative who supported having a referendum to separate give up thier seats and pensions and move to the country they love.
I see facists playing propaganda fir fools and the uneducated
@Ben.
Tell that to the laid of Stelco workers as Carney failed to get a deal. Carney is Mr. Broken Promises.
Getting rid of Elbows Up Carney/Trudeau Liberals would solve the problem for Alberta. 10 years of horrible leadership and governance.
Pierre you have your own problems with MP’S separating from you!
I do think that separation is not the answer for Alberta but we are taking a page out of the Quebec playbook as they did the same thing to get concessions from the federal government and are possibly voting in the same separatist government again which is looking for another referendum for Quebec.
Poilievre is the guy who keeps saying Canada is broken. Mr. Negativity.
…..uhhh…..yes. yes it will. Thats a minimum $40B that stays in Alberta and we WON’T involuntarily become part of the EU.
That’s already a win.
Ukraine needs more billions ! Stop crying and send send send!