Alberta's key separatist leaders often appear driven by a pure hatred of Canada, a sentiment that leads the province nowhere. The only way their contempt makes sense is if they believe they do not need Canada, as David Parker claims, because 'we have America backing us.'
A Dangerous Delusion
Consider this outburst from Jeffey Rath, a prominent separatist figure. After Premier Danielle Smith's meeting in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, Rath posted on X: 'Notice that Danielle Smith hasn't publicly told Mark Carney to butt out of the Alberta independence debate. Foreigners like Carney have no business telling Albertans what to do.'
Calling the prime minister a 'foreigner' is absurd. Carney was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and raised in Edmonton from age six. He played hockey, and his father was a professor at the University of Alberta. How much more Albertan can one get?
But this is the trap of separatist rhetoric. The leaders believe a good secessionist must prove absolute loyalty to Alberta, and increasingly, that requires demonstrating contempt—even hatred—of Canada itself.
The Parker Statement
David Parker, implicated in the leak of election list data, said: 'Nothing is more laughable to me than the idea that Canadians think we are going to wait for them to tell us whether independence is legal or not. We have America backing us, you fools.'
This language is dangerous and delusional, meant to sow division. Yet no separatist movement without a detailed, credible roadmap on separation will ever convince common-sense Albertans. A review of Alberta separatist online material reveals no clear prescription for such a historic upheaval.
Quebec's Contrasting Approach
The separatists have been in touch with Parti Québécois Leader Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, who has a serious chance of winning the next Quebec election. However, it is unclear they learned anything from him.
Plamondon, like every separatist PQ leader before him, recognizes that Canada does not simply cease to exist if a province declares independence. The current PQ position is: referendum first, then a declaration of independence, followed by negotiations with Canada on a new arrangement.
Plamondon is a hardcore separatist, but he says an independent Quebec would always be a 'friendly neighbour' to Canada. Quebecers would retain Canadian citizenship and dual citizenship, with trade and travel continuing as usual. He envisions a European Union-style trade model.
During a 90-minute interview in Calgary last September, Plamondon made it clear Quebec must go but did not utter an unfriendly word about Canada. His position is close to the separatism platform that narrowly lost the 1995 referendum. Since then, the PQ has conducted deep studies and analysis of a split with Canada.
Evolution of Quebec Separatism
Quebec separatism has evolved since 1980, when then-PQ leader Rene Levesque proposed 'sovereignty-association' with Canada, including a common currency. The current approach is more pragmatic, emphasizing friendly relations and dual citizenship.
Alberta separatists, by contrast, offer no such vision. Their hatred of Canada and reliance on vague US backing are not a strategy. Without a credible plan, they risk alienating Albertans who value stability and prosperity within Confederation.
The path forward for Alberta lies not in divisive rhetoric but in constructive dialogue that respects both provincial aspirations and national unity.
