In an opinion piece published in the Calgary Herald, Jennifer Garrison, chair of the strategy team for the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, calls on Albertans to vote 'No' in the upcoming Oct. 19 referendum. She argues that the first nine questions on the ballot promote scapegoating and division rather than unity and the common good.
Fundamental Questions at Stake
Garrison frames the referendum as a choice between a province that values the common good of all and one that embraces hatred, racism, and division. She emphasizes that although the separation question has garnered most media attention, the other questions are equally critical. These questions ask Albertans to blame immigrants and the rest of Canada for complex issues facing communities and the province.
Personal and Organizational Outrage
Growing up in Alberta, Garrison recalls learning in elementary school to be proud of the province's cultural mosaic. She was horrified when Premier Danielle Smith announced the nine referendum questions. The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, representing 29 member organizations and roughly 100,000 members from faith, labour, and community organizations, has heard outrage from its diverse membership. According to Garrison, instead of thanking newcomers for working in hospitals and on farms, the government suggests scapegoating them and denying education to their children.
Racist and Dehumanizing Questions
Garrison asserts that five questions about recent immigrants are fundamentally racist and dehumanizing. She notes that historically, Alberta has celebrated immigration, but the government's concern about the number of immigrants seems to have arisen only now that many immigrants have brown or black skin. These questions ask Albertans to consider whether to kick a 10-year-old refugee out of school or deny health care to newcomers, many of whom came to Canada to provide health care for Albertans in hospitals and assisted-living facilities. Garrison argues that the answers should be a resounding no.
Violation of Canadian Values
According to Garrison, these questions violate fundamental Canadian and Albertan values. Access to education and health care should be universal rights. As Canadians, it is a source of national pride to welcome refugees and treat immigrants with respect. The four constitutional questions on the ballot, while seemingly reasonable, pit Albertans against other Canadians and are separation questions in disguise. They ask Albertans to vote to rupture the Canadian Constitution.
Call to Action
Garrison concludes by urging Albertans to vote 'No' on all nine questions, reaffirming a commitment to a province where every person, regardless of how they came to be here, is treated with dignity and respect.
