I’m disappointed that so few people have asked me how they should vote in next week’s referendum. (So far, absolutely nobody, but there’s still time!) But I didn’t get where I am today by letting the complete indifference of the public at large prevent me from foisting my opinions willy-nilly on an unsuspecting readership, so here I go.
You should vote to stay in Canada.
Given that everyone from Danielle Smith to Mark Carney to Jason Kenney to Rachel Notley to old uncle Tom Cobley has already said you should vote to remain, my endorsement is unlikely to have the separatist camp trembling in their boots. But there is something I’d like you to think about before you head to the polls on Monday.
Some of those separatists seem to have changed their messaging over the last week or so. We’re now told that a vote for a second referendum isn’t a vote to break up the country. It’s simply a request to talk more and to rejig the status quo. It’s a way to create a bit of leverage and to tell Ottawa that Alberta means business.
That may be true on paper, but it’s not the way the world works.
A second referendum will simply kick the issue of separation down the road and let the idea of breaking up the country live to fight another day. It’s best to root it out now rather than allowing it to fester like an untreated bedsore on Canada’s backside. It’s nothing short of imperative for Albertans to deliver an emphatic “no” that allows everyone to move on together, because moving on together is vital for our collective future.
One thing pretty much everyone seems to agree on is that the world is in a bad place right now. The presence of a strong and united Canada at the heart of global affairs matters more today than it ever has. The problem for those who want to send Ottawa a message is that Ottawa isn’t the only place that message is likely to be heard.
Canada may not be perfect. Food is too expensive, our beer is too gassy and our hockey teams mostly suck. But we are a hell of a lot better off than a great number of other places. And there are some very unpleasant folks running those other places who would like nothing more than to see this country fall apart. In spite of what you may have heard from some guy you met in a bar or read on one of the more fevered corners of the internet, this country still stands as a beacon to the rest of the world. We are peacekeepers and consensus builders. We are a bastion of common sense. We are at or close to the top of just about any measure of quality of life or individual freedom you care to name. No wonder the bad guys hate us.
I’m not here to tell you what to think. I’ve tried that before and it never quite seems to work out the way I’d hoped. But I do urge you to take this vote seriously, because this is a very serious business. If you think this province should quit Canada I think you’re wrong, but you’re entitled to your opinion and should vote accordingly. But if you’d simply like to send Ottawa a message, be aware that your message will be heard far beyond the borders of our nation.
This referendum marks a pivotal moment. The potential repercussions could last for generations. This is not the time for cheap point scoring or empty gestures.
