The Separation Smokescreen

The recent Alberta, and perhaps even national news cycle has been dominated by talk of a separation vote in Alberta. How we got here, I'm not really sure.

If you look at the possible reasons this has become big news now, the only real answer is a smokescreen from Premier Danielle Smith.

The Reluctant Radio Host

It’s easy to forget that just over four years ago, Premier Smith was doing a daily talk show on the Corus radio network across Alberta, out of the studios of CHQR 770 in Calgary.

She actually started The Danielle Smith Show in 2015, so when she left in 2021, she had likely hit her best before date for a controversial radio talk show host.

Smith announced her decision to leave the show and deactivate her Twitter account in a commentary published on January 11, 2021. She cited growing concerns over the erosion of free speech and the increasing influence of "political correctness" in media and public discourse. Smith said the current social media environment made it challenging to provide honest opinions without fear of backlash, leading her to conclude that she could no longer fulfill her role effectively.

On February 19, she did her final show. One of her guests was then Premier Jason Kenney. I’ll never forget how viciously she attacked Kenney over the way he was handling COVID. Little did we know then it was the unofficial kickoff to her campaign for Premier.

I remember listening to many of the shows she did during COVID. She often would make comments questioning such things as mandatory COVID mandates, but always stopped just short of telling us how she really felt about the issue. It was like something was holding her back.

Perhaps she couldn’t speak freely, even about the most important public health issue of our lifetime, but maybe there was another reason?

Not a Separatist?

It’s now been just over four years since she left her regular radio gig, although she is back on the air every other Saturday on a show that was started by Kenney when he was Premier.

Now the possibility of Alberta separating from the rest of Canada is somehow the big issue of the day and Premier Smith once again is stopping short of saying how she really feels.

On the separation issue, she’s taken the approach of saying that she’s not in favour of separation because she’s not a separatist, but hey if that’s what the people want we should put it to a vote. Along the way, her government has lowered the bar to make it easier for disgruntled Albertans to force such a vote.

It all reminds me of her days as a talk show host. The big difference now is she is not being held back from saying what she wants to say by a radio boss.

I thought the cartoon last week by Toronto Star cartoonist Michael de Adder was perfect.

Why Now?

The timing of Smith’s separation pitch is extremely suspicious.

Just days after the recent federal election, Smith met over the phone with Prime Minister Carney and apparently, they had a good meeting.

A few days later however, Smith did an afternoon address to the province. It really was an address to the federal government and eastern Canada, hence the 3pm Alberta start time. I really don’t fully understand what her announcement was about, but it was something to keep the separation flames going.

Just weeks after the federal election we suddenly want to separate? Would this be a story if the Conservatives had won?  Of course not.

I wonder why this is happening. Is it because Albertans are upset they voted Conservative and their guy didn’t win?  I hope not.

This is nothing new folks. I can remember my father complaining about the same thing in the 1960’s. He would rant about how Alberta and the west voted Conservative, but somehow the Liberals were still running the country.

This isn’t new.

Smith herself has said if she didn’t allow some Albertans to have their say about separation, a splinter party would form and who knows what would happen then.  Perhaps so, but isn't that putting the interests of your party ahead of those of the country?

Some have suggested Smith has so many issues that aren’t going well, the separation talk is a diversion. That makes some sense. There’s growing resentment about the health care scandal, continuing problems in health care and education, MLA’s jumping ship, high food prices and the list goes on.

As Smith talks separation though, the news media gets drawn to the discussion like bees to honey. If it is a Smith diversionary plan, it’s working quite nicely.

I’m not saying a Premier talking about separation isn’t a story, but I would encourage the media to hold the government to account for everything from 11-hour waits in emergency wards to overcrowded school classrooms to a deficit that could hit close to $10 billion this fiscal year.

Just last week I did media training for some doctors and was told that parents have to wait between one and two years to get their kids seen by a child psychiatrist. Imagine being a parent dealing with issues like that and you can’t get professional help?

I don’t know about you, but that seems like a story the media should be using its precious resources to cover.

It has taken the bait and is part of the smokescreen.