Alberta鈥檚 loyalty to Canada may be waning after the justice system dealt a blow to the province鈥檚 pipeline plans. At least that鈥檚 what Jason Kenney, leader of Alberta鈥檚 United Conservative Party, told CTV鈥檚 Don Martin on Power Play Wednesday.
鈥淚 would not be surprised if a significant and growing minority of Albertans are entertaining [separatism],鈥� Kenney said.
鈥淚鈥檓 a Canadian nationalist and, by the way, separating ourselves from the rest of the country is not how we鈥檙e going to get market access. But still, that frustration is real.鈥�
That frustration boiled over after a Federal Court of Appeal reversed a cabinet decision to allow Trans Mountain construction to go ahead. Citing insufficient consultation with Indigenous people and a failure to consider the impact of increased tanker traffic, the court indefinitely halted the pipeline鈥檚 construction.
Kenney said it might be time to turn the question over to the people.
鈥淚f we can鈥檛 get market access for Canada鈥檚 largest export then I would be prepared to hold a referendum on equalization,鈥� Kenney said.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 Alberta鈥檚 ultimate leverage in the federation, according to the Supreme Court鈥檚 Quebec secession reference, that would force binding negotiations with the federal government.鈥�
Equalization is a complex calculation intended to help have-not provinces provide public services that reach the ranks of those available in other provinces. Alberta pays a significant amount into the fund and received nothing from it in 2017-18.
Kenney said he would use those payments as leverage to try to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built.
鈥淚 intend for a future Alberta Conservative government to play ball in asserting our demand for fairness within the federation,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, the feelings of frustration are building in Alberta.
鈥淲hen that court decision came down鈥ou could just feel the anxiety and the frustration and that has turned into anger -- and it鈥檚 very real,鈥� said Rona Ambrose, the former interim Conservative leader.
鈥淛ason has a real sense of what that [court decision] means for the province so I think he鈥檚 capturing that sentiment and let me tell you, it is strong.鈥�
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley was reeling after the decision came out. She slammed the federal government in an Aug. 30 speech and announced that Alberta would pull out of the national climate plan until the federal government 鈥済ets its act together鈥� on the planned pipeline expansion.
The government has yet to confirm whether they plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
"We are looking at what an appeal would look like, what it would mean," Trudeau said in a Wednesday interview with Edmonton radio station CHED.
"The court was very clear: You need to do more on the environment. You need to do more on consultations, if anything is going to happen, so that's what we are going to do.鈥�
The government bought the project for $4.5 billion earlier this year and, within an hour of the court ruling鈥檚 release last week, Kinder Morgan shareholders approved the sale.
Trudeau stands behind the decision.
"Our process and our focus is on getting that pipeline built the right way so we can finally get our resources to markets other than the United States," he said.
With files from the Canadian Press
