Q. Why do you want to separate Alberta from the rest of Canada?
A. For over 120 years the West has tried to become an equal partner in Confederation without success. We have been the "...hewers of water and packers of wood" for Central Canada and under the current Canadian Constitution it will never change. We have been exposed to unjust and immoral policies such as the National Energy Program, the Canadian Wheat Board, the Kyoto Accord and now mismanagement of the BSE crisis. All federal governments since Confederation have failed to represent the best interest of Alberta and ultimately shown total disregard for the Canadian Constitution.We have no choice but to separate in order to facilitate change.
Alberta can no longer afford to subsidize Canadian Confederation. Excess revenues from our non-renewable resources of oil and gas should be used to diversify the Alberta economy by developing end-use manufacturing. This excess is currently being shipped to Ottawa with no return on investment. This will not change inside Canadian confederation.
Q. Don't you believe in sharing with the rest of Canada?
A. We have shared our resources and the wealth they generate for decades. But we cannot afford to continue this practice. In 2003 Alberta paid Ottawa $11.1 billion more than it received with no return on investment. It's time that Albertans utilized the wealth from our depleting non-renewable natural resources to diversify our economy. Separation will ensure the economic future of this province.
Q. Are you a religious-based political party?
A. No, but we believe in the freedom of religion. We do not, however, believe that any one group, religious or not, should be allowed to force their beliefs on others. We will accept all individuals as members as long as they support our Principles, Policies and Constitution.
Q. I think the West (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) should separate. Are you a western separatist party?
A. The Separation Party of Alberta believes in the peaceful secession of the province of Alberta from Canadian confederation and we support any provincial political party or movement to separate. But we do not support the creation of a unitary Western Canadian Federal State..
Q. How many provinces in western Canada have registered separation parties?
A. The Separation Party of Alberta is a registered political party in Alberta. The Western Independence Party is a registered political party in Saskatchewan.
Q. I think the West (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) should separate. Are you a western separatist party?
A. The Separation Party of Alberta believes in the peaceful secession of the province of Alberta from Canadian confederation and we support any provincial political party or movement to separate under the provisions of the CLARITY ACT of Canada. But we do not support the creation of a unitary Western Canadian Federal State.
Q. Are you organizing constituency associations and do you plan to run candidates in the next provincial election?
A. We will organize as many provincial constituencies as possible and run as many qualified candidates as possible in the next election.
Q. How widespread is your support in Alberta?
A. We have members in all parts of our province.
Q. How much support for separation do you have in Alberta?
A. Recent polls have given us an indication that support for secession is stronger that one might think. The Canada West Foundation in its publication "Looking West 2003" asked Albertans to respond to the statement: "Would Alberta be better off economically if it separated from Canada?" Of those who responded, 25.5% agreed (13.5% strongly). JMCK Communications Ltd. conducted a poll in November,2002 in response to the pending ratification of the Kyoto Accord, in which they posed the question to Albertans: "If the federal government ratifies Kyoto against the wishes of the Alberta government, what do you think Alberta should do" Of those polled, 46.8% agreed that "Albertans should explore other options such as independence", while another 9.4% felt that Alberta should choose to join the United States. In March, 2003 the same pollster asked Albertans, "When considering Alberta's role within Confederation, which of the following scenarios would you support?" 16.4% responded that Alberta should become "independent from Canada." In the January, 2004 Canadian edition of Readers Digest, even Premier Klein acknowledged that one in four Albertans (25%) were in support of separation.Q. If Albertans vote to separate by electing the Separation Party of Alberta to power, how sure are you that the armed forces of Canada would not invade Alberta to prevent it?
A. Practically speaking it is highly unlikely that our own forces would invade Alberta to prevent separation when that opportunity to separate has already been made available to other regions, specifically, Quebec.
Q. How will separation and eventual independence be accomplished?
A. The election of the Separation Party of Alberta will result in the commencement of separation of Alberta from Canada. We will negotiate the peaceful division of Canada as we know it.
Q. What would happen to our Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and like programs if we separate?
A. Just like Quebec and Ontario has done, we will opt out of these programs, have the funds paid to Alberta and administered here through our Finance Department without any loss of benefits to the recipients.
Q. What about the RCMP? Do you plan to have our own police force and armed services?
A. The RCMP is a federal police force which would not be part of our police forces in Alberta. We would establish our own provincial police service and armed forces.
Q. How do you propose Albertans will be governed?
A. Our policies indicate that Alberta will produce its own Constitution, a single document which will lay out all the rights and responsibilities of its citizens and its government and from which all other governing laws will flow. It may well be based on a composite of the Constitutions of the United States or perhaps canton system similar to Switzerland. This is to be determined in the future.
Q. How do you propose to deal with all the federal-provincial cost sharing agreements?
A. When Albertans choose to separate by referendum, there will be no need for these agreements and the duplication of services we now have. Alberta will have its own pension plan and social service programs.
Q. What is going to happen to our trading relationships with the United States, the other provinces and the rest of the world?
A. NAFTA and all other treaties and agreements governing trade are federal government agreements. As a sovereign nation we will be in a position to negotiate our own trading agreements with any province, the United States and any other country in the world. Currently, reams of restrictive inter-provincial trade barriers make it difficult to establish business between provinces. We would eliminate those barriers to permit the free flow of goods and services.
Q. Alberta does not have any seaport. How do you propose that Albertans can market their goods abroad without one?
A. Switzerland and other nations in Europe do not have seaports but still manage to survive by trading globally. Alberta will make strategic agreements with British Columbia or Washington for the use of their ports for the marketing of our goods.
Q. We have a burgeoning bureaucracy. How do you propose that it might be cut?
A. We submit that our Province can be governed by a maximum of 55 elected members to our legislature. We can eliminate the duplication of services with the federal government and thus down-size our bureaucracy and all the red tape flowing from it. We believe in the maxim that "the government that governs the best is the government that governs the least".
Q. If Alberta separates who will set the prices for our gas at the pump and our utilities?
A. Even though our gas and oil are depleting non-renewable resources, we believe that Albertans should benefit from these resources and we would encourage a made-in-Alberta price for gas at the pumps. This system would encourage the development of tourism in the province of Alberta. A business that has been sorely neglected by the provincial Conservatives.
Q. Can we survive as an independent nation?
A. Yes. There has been a number of studies conducted that indicate that Alberta could compete as a stand alone nation.
Q. How will you ensure that Albertans have accessibility to proper health care?
A. With the billions of dollars not being sent to Ottawa after separation, we will have the funds necessary to ensure that we supply the best health care. We will invest adequate resources to ensure that Alberta has sufficient doctors and nurses to take care of our health and medical care requirements. We can purchase more high tech equipment (eg. MRI). We feel we can have the best health care system in the world once we separate.
Q. A clean environment is very important to us. How do you propose to deal with polluters?
A. Our policy is clear in that respect; we will mandate stiff penalties for all polluters and mandate that all primary manufacturing facilities have incorporated in them the latest technology to eliminate pollution of our air, water and soil.
Q. It has become apparent over the years that our appointed Judges have been making laws instead of interpreting them. How do you propose to change that?
A. We will ensure that laws are enacted which will not allow judges to make laws. The sole jurisdiction of judges is to interpret the laws of the land and it is up to our elected representatives to make the laws.
Q. We have had quite a "brain drain" over the years. How to you propose to rectify this inequity?
A. Our policies are clear on this. We propose that all students attending our universities, colleges and technical schools in Alberta will have their tuition and books paid for by the government, provided they sign an agreement that they will stay and work in Alberta for a minimum of 5 years after which time their loans will be forgiven.
Q. Municipalities are struggling to raise money for their infrastructures. How can you alleviate this strain?
A. A Separation Party of Alberta government will make loans available to municipalities, interest-free, to upgrade their existing infrastructures and to build new ones. If municipalities decide by referendum to own and manage their own utilities, we will provide interest-free loans to them to accommodate them in these activities.
Q. How will you guarantee minority rights?
A. All individual human rights, freedoms and responsibilities will be set out in our new Constitution. There will be no special rights or privileges to anyone. Everyone will be equal under the law. Alberta will be a society where all citizens are Albertans first.
Why Separation | Building the Party | Administration |
Upcoming Meetings | Brochure | News | Editorial Comment | Links
Contacts | Quotes | FAQs | Home
Separation Alberta
Box 31074
Edmonton, AB T5Z 3P3
Ph: Fax: Website: SeparationAlberta.com Email: contact us
|