Lorne Gunter, in his latest column, takes aim at the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) for what he calls a flippant and fact-free response to Premier Danielle Smith's estimate that separating from Canada would cost Alberta $400 billion. Gunter argues that those leading the charge for an independent Alberta must provide credible cost analyses rather than dismissive retorts.
The Flawed Response
Jeffrey Rath, general counsel for the APP, dismissed Smith's figure as 'completely false' and stated, 'I don't know why Danielle thinks that she’s going to threaten us with a $400-billion cost. It’s obviously a lot less than that, but who cares? Let’s just get out. We’ll be so much better off.' Gunter likens this attitude to a child's 'Would not. So there,' and insists that advocates owe Albertans transparent calculations.
Demand for Transparency
Gunter emphasizes that the APP has consistently claimed separation would be easy and cheap, yet they have not provided their own cost estimates. He writes, 'If it’s “obviously a lot less,” show us your numbers and how you arrived at them.' He draws parallels to Quebec's 1995 sovereignty referendum, where separatists at least had some expert-backed valuations, unlike the APP's 'trust us' approach.
Naive Assumptions
The columnist also criticizes the APP's naive belief that the process after a winning vote would be smooth. He notes that Ottawa would fight to keep Alberta, given its role as a major funder of national programs. Gunter concludes that while Albertans may ultimately decide to leave, they will not do so on blind faith or the 'pig-in-a-poke' the APP is selling.
