What likely started as a social media campaign to air a considerable portion of the electorate’s grievances against the federal government, a serious political movement in Canada may be born. Would this have serious ramifications for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly re-elected Liberals? Or, is it an annoying mosquito bite from Muskoka that needs scratching? While Ottawa may no longer need to lose sleep over a separatist initiative in Quebec, the nation’s capital might need to keep a close eye on the west as separatism is brewing like a Double-Double at the nearby Tim Hortons. The experts say that a split is unlikely to happen, but they said the same thing about the British and Brussels. It could be time to wake up and smell the poutine – or crude oil. Western Alienation: A Primer
The term “western alienation” has entered the national lexicon, becoming just as Canadian as “grab your toque” or “a kerfuffle at the hockey rink.”
Despite being rich in resources and contributing a great deal to the gross domestic product, this part of the country feels disrespected, shunned, unequal, and underrepresented. From the perspective of westerners, the frustration is warranted; Ottawa seemingly concentrates primarily on the economic juggernaut of Ontario and the sensitive vote-rich province of Quebec. From the vantage point of other provinces and territories, the sentiment is: What about me? There is a reason people joke that Toronto thinks it is the only city in Canada, as well as the center of the universe.
The west contributes billions of dollars to the federal tax pool, but the equalization is not equitable. Alberta, for instance, has not received an equalization payment in more than 50 years. British Columbia and Saskatchewan got a fist full of bupkis last year. In other words, they are giving more than they are receiving.
Indeed, the federal government is quick to take the loonies and toonies generated from fossil fuels in Alberta or Saskatchewan. But when the time comes to defend these provinces from Swedish teenagers or the globalists, the prime minister is nowhere to be found. Oftentimes, the west can feel like they are being treated like troubled stepchildren whenever Trudeau arrives on the world stage.
Another big thing for the west is the lack of representation in Ottawa. Alberta only accounts for 10% of the House of Commons, but the province contributes about a fifth to the national economy. They believe that if they had better representation, the feds would come to the province’s aid when necessary. Between 2014 and 2016, when crude prices cratered from the global supply glut, Alberta crashed and burned – it is still trying to pick up the pieces to this day – and the feds (Tories and Grits) were absent.
Trudeau promised in his victory speech that he would fight for all Canadians, not just those who voted for him. But where is the incentive? When looking at the electoral map, you notice a blue conservative wave engulfing a third of Manitoba, all of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and half of BC. Though Trudeau needs to reach across the aisle to move forward with his agenda, he does not have to go on his knees to Members of Parliament from Alberta and Saskatchewan. The prime minister can get a helping hand from New Democrats in parts of Ontario or the Bloc Quebecois – and that’s it.
Heck, Trudeau no longer needs to show up to the Calgary Stampede in his cowboy outfit, pretending to have a good time.
Once Upon A Time In The West
Although Wexit was coined months ago by Peter Downing, it blew up on social media in the aftermath of the general election. Wexit’s Facebook page has nearly 200,000 members, the Wexit hashtag had thousands of tweets and retweets, and it garnered mainstream media attention.
Downing now wants to use this momentum to form provincial and federal parties, telling CTV News: “We have to do this. Right now, there’s no hope, there’s no future … no reason why we have to have Justin Trudeau governing us.”
More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/...a-ditch-canada
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