Some Albertans say Canada is broken and the province should leave the federation and go it alone. But is there another solution to the discontent?

Alberta hasn’t been happy with Ottawa for a long time. There is a feeling that Albertans pay more than their share into the Canadian economy but don't get enough in return. Some are saying Canada is broken and Alberta should leave the federation.

On today's episode, host Max Fawcett chats with Derek Fildebrandt, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the publisher, president and chief executive officer of Western Standard New Media Corp., a right-leaning media group. The topic? A possible solution to the province’s disconnection with the rest of the country.

A few minutes in, it's clear the two disagree on how Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith has responded to the federal government's plan to create the “just transition” legislation. Earlier this year, Smith took aim at a package of federal briefing materials that discussed the effect a transition to a low-carbon economy would have on local jobs.

For Max, Smith and her staff deliberately misrepresented the memo's contents, which said the jobs would be impacted, not eliminated.

For Fildebrandt, the document is an attempt by the federal government to “shut down the industry” and “cushion the transition that they’ve been hastening along.”

Maxed Out Episode 7 - Derek Fildebrandt_Quote
Former politician Derek Fildebrandt talks about the effect a transition to a low-carbon economy would have on local jobs on the newest episode of Maxed Out.

It wasn’t all diverging opinions, though. Max and Fildebrandt also spent some time bonding over their chosen identity as Albertans.

As someone born and raised in Vancouver, Max finds that the most passionate Albertans tend to be from somewhere else.

Fildebrandt, who was raised in Ontario, weirdly agrees. For him, people who chose to settle in Alberta from other parts of the country came here because they “saw it as something unique and different” with a “strong regional identity.”

Some Albertans say Canada is broken and the province should leave the federation and go it alone. But is there another solution to the discontent? #MaxedOut

To listen in on the discussion around the history behind Alberta’s brewing nationhood, check out the full episode of Maxed Out on Apple Podcast or Spotify.

Maxed Out is made possible by listeners like you. If you’ve supported the podcast already, thank you. If you haven’t, click here to donate what you can to help us keep producing valuable journalism.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected].

You can also follow us on Twitter @NatObserver.

Keep reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Fildebrandt
Nice that they "bonded" over Alberta and all, but what's with the "bothsidesism?"

The only reason Albertans, not Alberta pays more to Ottawa is we make way higher wages! Therefore in a progressive tax system, higher incomes pay more! Simple? Well if you want democracy and capitalism, one has to reduce inequality, or at least keep it in check.. The USA and the UK are very unequal, and one can see their democracies are in trouble. Canada has rising inequality but nowhere near the USA or UK. The wealthy or oil workers in Alberta just don't get it. Earn big wages, pay more tax. Canada transfers billions back to Alberta for Health and Education. Yes Alberta or actually Canadian oil pays high wages, therefore more income and business tax, and yes Albertans think oil money pays for Canada. Well suck it up. We introduced most social benefits like senior pensions, Healthcare, public education and public universities, well before oil was a big money provider. And we will be able to run our society long after oil is reduced. Hopefully carbon capture will be viable, but doesn't look like it right now. And as citizens we voters have less and less influence on MPs as lobbyist, Big Oil, Big Pharma and Big grocery use their money to benefit themselves and the few shareholders.
And yes we may have to reduce our standard of living a bit. Big Oil gas brought billions out of poverty with cheap energy. And now those folks are aspiring to our standard of living and energy use. We are quickly learning, well at least some of us,
that 7 billion, never mind 10 billion cannot live with our level of energy and resource use without destroying the planet, its eco systems and our atmosphere. There is the disconnect. An acquaintance yesterday had the solution some Albertans believe in reduce the world population by 3 or 4 billion. False economy. Half the demand for fossil fuels and an obvious racist comment as we whites in our Western Democracies will not and are unwilling to reduce our standard of high energy use living

"Albertans think oil money pays for Canada"

The actual numbers suggest otherwise.
NRCan: In 2019 Canada's entire energy sector directly and indirectly contributed 10.2% ($219 billion) to Canada's GDP ($2.151 trillion). Including oil & gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, and renewables.
In 2019 Canada's energy sector directly contributed 7.2% ($154 billion) to GDP.
Petroleum accounted for 5.3% ($114 billion). Crude oil a fraction of that. AB's oilsands a fraction of that.
O&G figures were even lower in 2020.
*
In 2020 Canada's energy sector directly and indirectly contributed 8.1% ($168 billion) to Canada's GDP ($2.082 trillion). Including oil & gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, and renewables.
In 2020 Canada's energy sector directly contributed 5.8% ($121 billion) to GDP.
Petroleum accounted for 3.9% ($81.4 billion). [NRCan Energy Fact Book (2021-2022)
*
Subtract (astronomical) externalized environmental, climate change, and health costs. Subtract lost jobs in other industries, towns wiped off the map, billions of sea animals dead in a week. Subtract subsidies. The fossil fuel industry is killing us.
AB's oil & gas industry has barely started to fund its clean-up liabilities: north of $260 billion. How much of that bill will our "golden goose" industry foist upon taxpayers?
*
In 2019-20 AB taxpayers contributed 14% of federal revenues. 14 cents on every tax dollar collected and spent. The bulk of federal revenues — 86 cents on the dollar — is generated outside Alberta — mostly by wealthy Canadians and profitable companies residing elsewhere. Ontario and Quebec taxpayers contribute 60% of federal revenues. BC taxpayers 14%. Quebec taxpayers contribute more to Quebec's EQ payments than AB taxpayers do.

I believe it was Trevor Tombe, economics prof at the University of Calgary, who found that in 2021 Alberta received ~$10B more in equalization than it paid. The pandemic no doubt had a role in that. The way a Globe op-ed put it, Albertans received more federal money per capita that year than Quebeckers. Ouch!

You know, no matter what Ottawa does or doesn't do, within 15 years the Alberta oil patch will be imploding and Alberta won't be rich any more. And sure, they may pretend for a while that it's all Ottawa's fault, but they will no longer be in any way giving more than they get. Once it's very clear that they need the rest of Canada more than it needs them, Alberta fed-bashing will return to the usual grumbly level that most provinces have, plus a bit extra for Albertaness.

In the mean while, Alberta will gradually be increasing the significance in its economy of solar and wind, which are much more reliable but less flashy sources of income, less prone to booms and busts. From being symbolized by Fort Mac with people making six figures but blowing it all in a tacky Nashville version of a gold rush, the Alberta economy will hopefully shift to become somewhat more sedate and respectable, which might lead to a saner politics.

I think we're at pretty much peak crazy right now--all the gold rush mentality plus desperation as they feel it slipping away plus gobs of oil money creating alt-right propaganda. Once the sun sets a bit more thoroughly on the gold rush, Albertans will gradually wake up from the dream and think "Whoa, what was I on?!"

"I think we're at pretty much peak crazy right now..."

Gawd, I hope you're right. As an ex-Albertan it's painful to dial in the media there on occasion and get more hyperventilation and noise than signal.