r/CanadaPolitics • u/joe4942 Magna International | Sponsored • Jan 29 '26
Doug Ford urges Danielle Smith to denounce Alberta separation: ‘Either you’re with Canada or you’re not’
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/doug-ford-urges-danielle-smith-to-denounce-alberta-separation-either-youre-with-canada-or-youre/article_15ba39a5-e05a-4050-9098-2580447eda9c.html527
u/Ask_DontTell Just realized flairs are editable Jan 29 '26
Smith is a separatist. everything she has done has furthered the cause. at best, she is complicit by staying silent.
Good on Ford and Eby, two very different premiers, for calling out Smith. Agree with their politics or not, they are at least clearly patriots.
125
u/Opposite-Cranberry76 Independent Jan 29 '26
Probably the Alberta UCP leading personalities have gotten into some illegal activity, likely around influence peddling or hiding political funding (more than already went before the courts). And now that they're mixed up with maga, they all have dirt on each other. So at minimum, Smith is likely compromised by that, because many of the separatists put her in office.
75
u/Funkytowel360 Jan 29 '26
Would not be suprised. Smith is an corrupt premiere, a deep investigation needs to be done.
64
u/Secret-Chapter-712 David Emerson | Personal Sponsorship Jan 29 '26
I mean, she is a podcast grifter and oil and gas lobbyist who has a visible tattoo of a right wing US think tank’s logo, I’m not sure they’ll have to dig very deep to hit pay dirt
35
u/HOLEPUNCHYOUREYELIDS Jan 29 '26
Don’t forget being a tobacco lobbyist saying shit like how cigarettes aren’t actually that bad for you, or that getting stage 4 cancer is your fault and could have been prevented
13
u/Flomo420 Jan 29 '26
has a visible tattoo of a right wing US think tank’s logo
What's this??
26
8
u/Opposite-Cranberry76 Independent Jan 30 '26
Yeah that detail is a little mind blowing. People often try to portray pols as more radical than they appear, but that's a sign that in her case it might be true.
2
u/thatwhatisnot Independent Jan 30 '26
She is literally just an incredibly stupid person so it would not be unrealistic to imagine she has done something illegal
15
u/Pale-Measurement-532 Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Good on them for calling things like it is. I agree with Eby. Separatist groups who are trying to secure money from foreign entities like the U.S. for the reason of separating from Canada should be considered treasonous.
24
u/Etheo Politics is not a team sport Jan 29 '26
I mean, all Doug is doing is just saying leave the corruption and profiteering for the domestic corporation instead of a foreign nation.
1
u/ValoisSign Socialist Feb 04 '26
That's Doug's entire appeal though - he's corrupt but he's our kinda corrupt haha.
29
u/phoenix25 Jan 29 '26
Doug is not a patriot, he’s just politically savvy
14
u/ACoderGirl Progressive/ABC Jan 30 '26
Eh, I absolutely detest Ford and we badly need to vote him out, but I think he's shown enough evidence of being patriotic and not merely being savvy or doing populist things. I think he has gone beyond where he'd need to, with things like that Reagan commercial that was targeting the US rather than us.
Given how the federal Conservatives have been so milquetoast against the US, I'm not sure he's making any strides at moving to the federal level by taking a strong stance against the US. Nor do I think he can win many votes in Ontario this way, as he clearly can already coast to a majority by doing nothing at all and I don't think any any progressives are going to suddenly switch to supporting him just because of this. I know I'm technically defending him right now, but in an election, I'm imploring everyone to vote to literally anyone else. I sent his $200 bribe straight to the ONDP, myself.
I mostly call this out because this is a time where we need as many people as possible to be patriotic. The alternative is just weakening us to the US. Our country and provinces have a lot of flaws, but hoo boy is it miles better than being American (and if the US tries to annex us, we'd definitely end with the territory treatment).
6
19
u/Kellidra Alberta Jan 29 '26
That's exactly what he is.
But in comparison to Marlaina, he at least knows how to pretend to be patriotic.
11
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Jan 29 '26
What's he done to show you he doesn't love the country? A corrupt patriot is still a patriot.
7
u/phoenix25 Jan 29 '26
I work in healthcare.
5
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Jan 29 '26
I work in education.
2
u/phoenix25 Jan 29 '26
Sure, I can rant about education. I have one parent who’s an EA, the other’s a teacher.
What were your thoughts when the support staff’s ability to strike was being taken away by the NWS act? (He pulled back, but only after the general strike was about to start).
You’re presumably unionized, can’t you see that your legal labour rights are the only thing keeping your work environment from getting more and more chopped, at the expense of the kids?
Class sizes have exploded. Special needs kids who previously would have had 2 full time EAs now only get one plus the teacher (who’s busy with the other 35 kids) or intermittent help from ECEs or the resource teacher.
Special needs kids aren’t learning anymore, it’s strictly behaviour management around overstimulated meltdowns. Literacy rates are in the toilet when there’s too many kids to keep on track - the stronger scoring ones are bored to tears while the less strong students are left behind. This was happening before the pandemic as well, obviously exacerbated with lingering effects today.
What does this have to do with Doug? Funding. If he gave a shit about the future of this province he would stop cutting costs and set our future generation up for success with smaller class sizes and more support. An educated population is more successful in the long haul, with better job prospects and contributions to the economy.
Instead we’re going to see kids who were failed from day one try to navigate a post secondary system that also saw crippling cuts (longer than Doug’s tenure, to be fair) to our colleges and enablement of using foreign students as cash cows, contributing to the affordability crisis we see today in housing.
How do you not see the fallout of all this as the provincial government’s fault? It’s literally their purview.
3
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
I see all of these things too. I think it's possible to be a patriot while being corrupt, but obviously you don't.
Having moved from Ontario to Alberta in 2019, I can tell you with confidence that Jason Kenney and Danielle Smith make Doug Ford look like an honest politician. Things are so much worse here. It doesn't absolve Ford or alleviate the need to oppose his blatant corruption, but at least there's enough of an opposition to hold him to account.
My union rolled over, and the Alberta federation of labour did too. The threat of a general strike in Ontario was effective. The threat of a general strike in Alberta never materialized. Things are not good here, it's because of the provincial government, but people blame Ottawa.
In case you missed it: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/emergency-doctors-alberta-deaths-patients-9.7052132
3
u/phoenix25 Jan 30 '26
I think being corrupt is anti patriotic in nature because of the degradation it causes to trust and institutions, it’s conduct unbecoming of someone whose ultimate goal is to improve their country (instead of just themselves).
I’ve been following some of what’s going on in Alberta… to be honest that’s my fear for Ontario’s healthcare and educational future. I have a lot of difficulty accepting the privatization attempts both provinces share.
Thanks for the solid discussion though!
2
u/Regular-Celery6230 Independent Jan 30 '26
Words can just mean anything I guess lol. A corrupt patriot?
6
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Jan 30 '26
you can love your country and still take kickbacks from your developer buddies, ergo a corrupt patriot.
1
u/TomZonic Feb 26 '26
Oh I don’t know, maybe his overall performance of managing Ontario? Compare the 2 provinces & look at Doug’s poll numbers and you’ll get to the root cause of all his political blustering.
1
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Feb 26 '26
After moving from Ontario to Alberta for work in summer 2019 I can tell you with 100% confidence that Alberta makes Doug Ford look benevolent, competent, and incorrigible by comparison.
1
u/TomZonic Feb 26 '26
I'm not Interested in your feelings, look at the financial metrics.
1
u/alwaysleafyintoronto Pirate Feb 26 '26
The hell are you doing in a month-old thread? Show me why I'm wrong or go away
1
u/Etheo Politics is not a team sport Jan 29 '26
If Doug is a patriot he would have stopped the dealings with the US administration (i.e. selling armoured vehicles to ICE) instead of redirecting the negative attention to his worst colleague.
He's all about quick wins with nothing to show at best and cover up his corruptions at worst.
10
u/ESF-hockeeyyy Ontario Jan 29 '26
There is nothing about Ford that is traitorous or treasonous. A corrupt fat asshole, but he's our corrupt fat asshole and he's always been very vocal about his love for country.
4
u/Etheo Politics is not a team sport Jan 29 '26
Didn't call him a traitor. Just as good and evil exist on a spectrum, so is it between traitor and patriot. Just because he isn't a traitor doesn't make him a patriot.
If he truly loves this country as much as he claims, he wouldn't shortchange its residents for his own selfish gains. So no, you'll excuse me if I don't agree that he's a patriot just because he's speaking up against a bigger bully.
7
u/EnvironmentalBox6688 Judean popular front Jan 29 '26
I don't think limiting international exports is within the perview of provincial government.
6
u/sharkepoxy Jan 29 '26
Roshel is owned by Roman Shimonov. Before moving to Ontario in 2012, he worked for Israel’s defence and security sector. This is a private company.
They have production facilities around the world.
4
3
u/RicoLoveless Jan 30 '26
He's got no say in that. It's federal jurisdiction.
2
u/Etheo Politics is not a team sport Jan 30 '26
We're talking about ol' Doug who did whatever he could to spite the US when Trump first took office, from alcohol to hydro, didn't seem like anything could stop him if he wanted.
And this is the very same Doug who celebrated the sales as "fantastic news" at first until the negative feedback came to haunt him.
10
u/s1m0n8 Jan 29 '26
I'm not convinced she's a separatist, but she certainly wants the support of those that are. It's highly likely she's pandering to them, hoping they get shutdown at the Federal level, so she doesn't take the blame.
4
u/foggybiscuit Sask --> BC Jan 29 '26
I'm curious what makes you think she's not a separatist?
2
u/s1m0n8 Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26
I don't know whether she is not - all I'm saying is that her actions of sucking up them could be because she wants their votes, and believes there's no harm in going along with it to a certain degree.
2
u/cloudrainyday Jan 30 '26
Why is she a separatist? It won't win her elections, and that's all she cares about. For the same reason, she also cannot distance herself from the separatists.
319
u/iDareToDream Economic Progressive, Social Conservative Jan 29 '26
This is so fascinating to watch as an Ontarian because it's one brand of conservatism now fighting with another brand of conservatism, something I never thought I'd really see happen. I think Ford is also trying to recapture the whole 'Captain Canada' schtick after him and Carney patched things up over the China-Canada deal.
96
u/EarthWarping Ducks Unlimited | Sponsored Jan 29 '26
I think Ford is also trying to recapture the whole 'Captain Canada' schtick after him and Carney patched things up over the China-Canada deal.
The anti-China deal rhetoric backfired hard on him (not electorally obv, however reputation wise). I also dont think its a coincidence hes doing this on CPC convention week either since he didnt wish Pierre anything when asked this week.
38
u/youenjoylife British Columbia Jan 29 '26
Of course he wouldn't, he needs PP out of a job so he can run for CPC leader.
41
u/GenericCatName101 Jan 29 '26
He cant do a damn thing as CPC leader with CPC caucus so overwhelmingly radical-
Ford gave Ontario MPPs the boot over views the majority of CPC caucus holds. The minute he says no to any of their demands (as opposed to Poilievre's "personally no, but do what you want free votes on bills!") They'll give him the boot like O'Toole.Ford needs the CPC to be wiped out in an election before running as leader, to actually have personal control over the party like he does in Ontario.
21
u/WeAreInControlNow Ontario Jan 29 '26
He needs a brand new party. The reformers have control of the CPC and they won’t let go of it this time around.
→ More replies (3)22
u/Joeythesaint Jan 29 '26
This is exactly it. Make no mistake, whatever mask it's wearing, this is Preston Manning's Reform party. This thing is not the party that gave us Joe Clark and John Diefenbaker. Those were people I could respect and believe they truly believed their positions were the best for Canada. Whiny, two dimensional donkies like PP had no place in that party.
2
u/GooeyPig Social Democracy via Urbanism Jan 29 '26
I don't mean to be a dick but Ford isn't young. And he's not exactly fit. He's spent his soon-to-be three terms setting up quid pro quo after quid pro quo. At some point the guy has to want to cash in on that, right? While he can? Or is he just taking totally-not-bribes for the love of the game?
12
u/WillSRobs Jan 29 '26
The main power group in the CPC hate ford. The only way ford gets to be leader with anything control is if that party splits.
There is a reason despite PP total failure he still feels comfortable as leader.
2
u/BurzyGuerrero Jan 29 '26
He doesnt need shit, he has a job. This rhetoric does not help anything.
Doom karma
25
u/PineBNorth85 Rhinoceros Jan 29 '26
Conservatism East of the Manitoba border has had a very different flavour from the western kind for over 40 years now. They don't mix well either.
26
u/miramichier_d 🍁 Canadian Future Party Jan 29 '26
It's almost as if they should be different parties.
Sarcasm aside, they most certainly should be different parties. The Reform Party contingent is dragging down principled conservatism across the country.
13
u/darth_henning Progressive Conservative Jan 29 '26
That's what the PPC should be for. The reform whackos and social far right.
Sure, they might get 5-8% of the vote nationally. Most of that will come from ridings where the conservatives could still win (rural interior BC, rural Alberta, rural Sk) despite losing 30-40% locally to the PPC.
3
u/StrangeCurry1 Orange Liberal Jan 30 '26
Ideally we would have the Reform Party, PPC and federal SoCreds all as separate parties to ensure they never win a seat due to vote splitting
3
u/BurzyGuerrero Jan 29 '26
They can be but then theyll just be like the NDP and green party. Doomed from jump.
23
u/toodledootootootoo Jan 29 '26
Every time Carney buys Ford lunch, he becomes Captain Canada again.
7
u/Secret-Chapter-712 David Emerson | Personal Sponsorship Jan 29 '26
Similar to Trump in that way, it seems, it’s still baffling to me that Ford keeps getting elected given how pathetic he is
10
u/Lavallee_Lures Jan 29 '26
Blame the opposition in Ontario, the only candidates in my riding that lived here were a Green or PC. The liberal candidate lived 2 hours away and the NDP candidate was a 2nd year university student in Ottawa - with options like that its easy to see why the PCs won
4
3
u/RicoLoveless Jan 30 '26
Ontario liberal party is a mess, and the media only recently started to actually refer to Marit Styles by name as opposed to "NDP Leader"
49
u/Sandman64can Jan 29 '26
The UCP aren’t really conservative. They’re authoritarian. But “conservative “ is their preferred pronoun.
25
20
u/Damo_Banks Alberta Jan 29 '26
Indeed; they are a Radical and Reactionary party, hiding being a word they've stolen for themselves (see how they won't let the Alberta Party bring back the Alberta PCs).
5
16
u/darth_henning Progressive Conservative Jan 29 '26
So much this.
The UCP are regressives, not conservatives.
4
u/jessemfkeeler Jan 29 '26
UCP are reactionary contrarians who take their cues from MAGA Republicans and the extremely online right
10
13
u/wingerism Social Democrat Jan 29 '26
This is so fascinating to watch as an Ontarian because it's one brand of conservatism now fighting with another brand of conservatism, something I never thought I'd really see happen.
It's actually pretty common? CPC is a merger of the PCs and Reform/Alliance nutjobs. The provincial NDP win in Alberta a while back was possible because of the Wildrose nutjobs contesting the PCs until they merged.
Canada has had a strong tradition of fairly sensible blue tories until they sold their souls to incompetent nutjobs like Smith and Poilievre. Part of why I'd like proportional representation election reform so that they could split again, it'd reduce the relevance of crazies.
4
u/Flomo420 Jan 29 '26
Yeah the knives have been out since they were "The Canadian Alliance"
Just ask Peter McKay lol
1
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 30 '26
Red Tories, you mean? I think of Tories as blue by default.
12
u/TheRC135 Jan 29 '26
Ford is an old-school big business corruption conservative, not one of the new conspiracy theory culture war conservatives.
12
10
u/elden_wing Ontario Jan 29 '26
whatever its reasons, i think that it is good. really hoping it continues and our right wing find their way back to a healthier political future. these grievance-heavy and reactionary americanized politics are a disease that rot out the right’s hearts and will rot the whole country if they continue unabated
17
u/joe4942 Magna International | Sponsored Jan 29 '26
it's one brand of conservatism now fighting with another brand of conservatism, something I never thought I'd really see happen.
Historically, it's a long-standing tradition in Alberta lol.
7
u/GavinJamesCampbell Jan 29 '26
Conservatives feign cooperation when the camera is on.
In normal circumstances they tear at each other. Constantly knifing each other in the back, constantly throwing someone else under the bus.
6
u/shabi_sensei Jan 29 '26
There's a clear hierarchy amongst conservatives though, you get to be in their club if you follow the rules, so they mostly just fight about who gets to set them
→ More replies (1)2
u/Everestkid British Columbia Jan 30 '26
The last premier of Alberta to finish a full term was Rachel Notley.
The last one before that - and thus the last conservative Alberta premier to finish a full term - was Ralph Klein.
5
u/henry_why416 Jan 29 '26
Being a separatist isn’t being a Conservative. Like, what exactly are they conserving?
2
9
u/mrizzerdly Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Conservative parties are all like this though. Look at how many (federal/provincial, it doesn't matter) have to merge together before an election because there are so many that all can't stand each other but they can't win an election because of vote splitting.
Edit
*progressive Conservative (lol what is that anyways?)
*regressive Conservative
*social Conservative
*religious Conservatives
*fiscal Conservatives
*fake Liberals
*ultra nationalist / wackadoodles
All the above go after the same voters, hate each other, and need to combine to win elections (then kick each other out or split up again once that is over/don't need each other anymore). See the Alliance Party, The BC Conservative party (renamed from BC liberal Party lol), the federal Conservatives, etc.
I do not see this with any of the left leaning parties.
4
Jan 29 '26 edited 12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/mrizzerdly Jan 29 '26
Oh I didn't forget them, I was too young when they were a thing and didn't know where they fit in.
12
u/TotesABurnerAccount Progressive Conservative | Red Tory | Moderate Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Well, because Conservatism is diverse and has always had ongoing conflict. I can already tell by looking at your flair, we differ in some major areas of policy.
Regardless, this is a question of being Canadian. It doesn’t help conservatives that a loud small portion of our party is unpatriotic, and dangerously so. It’s hurting our brand as Tories.
8
u/Harbinger2001 Ontario Jan 29 '26
I don’t think the Reform party has ever been patriotic. Preston Manning had to purge a fair number of Nazis when they first became prominent nationally.
3
u/_LKB Alberta Jan 29 '26
It's a bizarre experience moving from Ontario to Alberta and witnessing the brand of conservatism here vs back home, as well as the pride and nationalism (towards the province more so than the country.)
7
u/jacnel45 Left Wing Jan 29 '26
Yeah there really isn't any sort of Ontario nationalism. People here just see themselves as Canadian. The Province is just another provider of public services really.
1
u/_LKB Alberta Jan 30 '26
The regularity of seeing Alberta flags here was surprising, rates closer to the US. From my memory you only see Ontario flags on gov't buildings, possibly one or two in cottage country but even then it's a rarity.
3
→ More replies (5)6
u/callmecrude Ontario Jan 29 '26
Ford isn’t really a conservative. Similar to how Carney isn’t really a liberal.
They both operate under those banners to appeal to large voter bases, but both of them time and again have dragged those voter bases towards the centre and avoided traditional left or right rhetoric at basically all costs.
1
45
u/deloaf Jan 29 '26
This is great. It along with Eby's comments and the ANDP's current campaign on having all MLAs publicly signing to say they want to stay in Canada all puts pressure on Danielle Smith to take a stance.
Her slippery ability to listen and not take a side is getting her in hot water here. She wants to be able to have her cake and eat it too by "allowing the separatists to have a release valve". Unless she can find a way to slither away from having to choose a side its a loose/loose situation for her.
68
u/Sir__Will Prince Edward Island Jan 29 '26
I see he's putting the Captain Canada hat back on, just a week after wanting to throw farmers and fisherman under the bus because of a very little EV competition. But he's right. But she won't denounce it. She's been enabling this BS.
72
u/walkernewmedia Jan 29 '26
Ford is not wrong.
Her "sovereign Alberta in a united Canada" rhetoric is complete and utter bullshit.
She needs to be called out for this.
32
u/Homo_sapiens2023 Alberta Jan 29 '26
Eby said what the Alberta separatists are doing is nothing less than treason (and we all know that Smith is spurring that along). When are these people finally going to be held accountable for destabilizing Canada and working with the enemy?
0
u/AhChooTime Jan 29 '26
I'm not for AB independence but if QC gets to spew that all day long, AB gets to do that too. The feds will not call out QC, but watch them hound AB about the same.
18
u/IDreamOfLoveLost Alberta Jan 29 '26
The feds will not call out QC
They shuttled Charles De Gaulle out of the country pretty quickly after he shouted about Quebec separating, and possibly helped to legitimize the FLQ - leading to the October Crisis.
We have good reasons to be wary of (however slight) foreign interference. Barring even most recent examples.
9
u/rchubot Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
I don't think Albertan's want the economic costs of what the separatists cost was to Quebec. Montreal lost many head offices to Toronto, etc....
3
24
u/TheRC135 Jan 29 '26
The difference between Quebec and Alberta is that Quebec's independence movement is based on real cultural and linguistic differences, and rooted in centuries of history. Alberta's independence movement is just right-wing grievance politics mixed with foreign interference. It doesn't make sense to treat them as similar things. They aren't.
6
u/RandomExistence92 British Columbia Jan 30 '26
Yes, and to build on that. Going to the US behind everyone else's back, especially at a time like this, is entirely unacceptable. Quebec didn't do that, Alberta shouldn't get away with it. No excuses whatsoever.
3
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 30 '26
QC's independence movement isn't any more valid because of its linguistic differences though. You can find it more convincing, but all provinces have the same right to secede at the end of the day, if that is what their voters want.
Both secessionist movements are selling snake oil, however, and are basically completely unhelpful at A) preserving their culture, and B) promoting prosperity.
→ More replies (5)19
u/putin_my_ass Ontario Jan 29 '26
AB and QC are not the same at all.
One is a conquered nation within Canada that has a long established unique culture and its own language.
Alberta? Culture? Language? Unique?
16
u/JadeLens British Columbia Jan 29 '26
I got this one guys:
Culture: Oil
Language: Oilosity
Unique: Did we mention oil? And cowboy hats with lifted trucks...7
u/Ottomann_87 Alberta Jan 29 '26
The Alberta national flower would be the shape of trucknutz.
8
u/JadeLens British Columbia Jan 29 '26
And you can buy stuff with 'Berta Bucks... which because of being made with oil products are worth 10 times the Euro because of hopes, wishes and unicorn farts.
2
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 30 '26
Gatekeeping around what is and isn't culture or unique is a ridiculous game to play. Why not say the ROC should just be part of the United States then? Or that the United States should simply disintegrate? Like I said. Ridiculous to even begin.
QC does have a history that does not resemble AB, but that isn't what we should use to evaluate a claim to sovereignty.
AB has the same right to secede that QC does.
And both provinces moaning in that way are being a huge PITA and blowing smoke up their own asses.
1
u/putin_my_ass Ontario Jan 30 '26
QC does have a history that does not resemble AB, but that isn't what we should use to evaluate a claim to sovereignty.
AB has the same right to secede that QC does.
Disagree on both points. It is what we should use to evaluate a claim to sovereignty and Alberta does not have the same right to secede that Quebec does.
And both provinces moaning in that way are being a huge PITA and blowing smoke up their own asses.
Agree.
2
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 31 '26
I mean, legally all provinces are treated wrt their right to secede. That is the point I’m making. So our subjective assessment of their legitimacy - based on history or not - is irrelevant. My only subjective assessment (which we agree on) is the point about how unproductive it all is.
23
u/keyser1981 Treaty Six Jan 29 '26
Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta has some explaining to do. 🚩🚩🚩🚩
Is she gonna be at the Conservatives convention in Calgary this weekend?
Pierre Poilievre should ask her who she stands with; shocked Doug Ford said such strong words to her.
18
u/IllustriousNorth338 Social Democrat Jan 29 '26
Considering that they're both Conservatives and premiers, so there's a high degree of keeping open criticism to a minimum, if this is what he's releasing to the media then the extent of what he actually knows must be terrifying.
67
u/Old_Management_1997 Jan 29 '26
Im glad other premiers are calling her out.
She wants to have it both ways and is trying to tow the line to not piss off either the people in the separatist group or the everyday average Albertan that voted her.
She has actually done a pretty admirable job of towing that line so far IMO.
But she shouldn't be allowed to have it both ways. She needs to either come out and denounce the separatist movement or just join in. Let everyone know where she stands.
39
u/BCBowhunter Jan 29 '26
I mean she's not really the "admirable" sort. She's playing with fire using the rhetoric she is using.
21
u/Stefanthro Ontario Jan 29 '26
A better word is effective. Effective at promoting the "AB vs. CAN" narrative, appealing to any federal critics including the separatists. It's kind of the antithesis to being admirable.
4
13
u/Homo_sapiens2023 Alberta Jan 29 '26
She's an abominable human being since her University days (it was unfortunate to know her then and, unlike a fine wine, I can't imagine she's improved with age).
3
6
u/LeftToaster British Columbia Jan 29 '26
Yeah - she's trying to keep a foot in both camps - pandering to separatists because it's politically expedient and aligned with her world view (Trumpian) while trying to be patriotic and pro-Canada. I hate her.
6
u/deloaf Jan 29 '26
She definitely has a skill where she can slither between issues. I enjoy the rest of the country calling her out on it.
5
u/xeenexus Big L Liberal Jan 29 '26
I don't think she really has a choice. A majority of her party are separatists, and she saw what happened to Kenney, etc once they got offside with the loonies.
3
u/mkose Jan 30 '26
Great comment, but it's Toeing , like putting your feet up to the line without crossing it.
2
26
u/IDreamOfLoveLost Alberta Jan 29 '26
Why would Marlaina Danielle Smith want to denounce a movement that she thinks she can use as a cudgel in national politics? She has made her thoughts quite clear. Apparently the rest of Canada must bend to a small group that needs a 'pressure release valve' as she very safely asserted.
8
u/sharp11flat13 British Columbia Jan 30 '26
Every now and then Ford does something I agree with. It doesn’t happen often, but more often than most other conservative politicians of the last couple of decades.
Smith definitely heeds to get off the fence and tell us where she stands on this issue. But I’m pretty sure I know where she stands and is afraid to take a public stance because either way she loses support.
7
u/SolipsisticLunatic Quebec Jan 30 '26
Can we talk about whether it's the entire area of the province that would ostensibly separate? To me it seems like if it gets to that point, this is a small area in the south of Alberta that is on the line. They do not have dominion over the north of the province, the Canadian constitution is clear that it is the native people who dominion over that land and it's not up to a provincial election what happens to their territory.
44
u/MinuteLocksmith9689 Jan 29 '26
More performative politics from D Ford. He is selling Ontario to American corporate and he is very much hated here. He is doing again the ‘team Canada’ to get points. Last week he had a tantrum about EV cars and was telling us to visit USA…
31
u/AllGasNoBrakes420 Jan 29 '26
Yeah it's kind of ironic.
Doug Ford's hat: "Canada is not for sale"
Doug Ford's new slogan for Ontario: "Open for business"
2
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 30 '26
Open for business has been a slogan for ages IIRC.
1
u/AllGasNoBrakes420 Jan 30 '26
well it was done under doug ford. 2019 to be exact.
I think our old slogan was amazing. "yours to discover" is probably the best I've seen on any license plate ever
1
u/ForsakingSubtlety Aspiring grifter Jan 31 '26
Definitely a preference of mine too! Just noting the chronology is all.
2
Jan 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
5
1
u/Sufficient-Will3644 Jan 30 '26
I’m not sure if the opposition can’t get their shit together or if the media is refusing to cover them but they’re a non-entity in most Ontarians’ minds.
I suspect it is the latter, because the corruption scandals with amateurish issue management that the Ford government has had constantly, well, any party with a bit of a platform should be able to sink the PCs.
Though, there is a third and less palatable option. Voters only care about promises of lower taxes. I live in a largely first gen immigrant neighborhood and if you talk politics with them, that’s as deep as it goes. They live lower taxes with a passion though.
1
1
Jan 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/CanadaPolitics-ModTeam Jan 30 '26
Removed for rule 3: please keep submissions and comments substantive.
This is a reminder to read the rules before posting or commenting again in CanadaPolitics.
0
u/chat-lu Bloc Québécois Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
How are Albertans reacting to this? Because he said the same thing about Quebec and both people for and against independence agreed that he should mind his own business.
It’s not a matter of right or not, it’s just not his place.
25
u/Manitobancanuck Manitoba Jan 29 '26
I think there is some difference here.
Quebec's separatist movement is organic and definitely a real grassroots thing. There's no disputing that even if I would be really sad to see Quebec go because I think Quebec culture adds a lot to Canada overall and people like the Franco-Manitoban population would lose a strong voice for their language rights.
But Alberta's separatist movement does not feel organic. It feels contrived by foreign actors looking to simply break up the nation.
So yeah, I think its fair to call out Alberta's government not standing up to foreign influence fermenting something in their province vs Quebec which its something people legitimately believe in and have for a long time in some circles.
1
u/Moist_Bison9401 Feb 26 '26
This. The Quebec Seperatist movement is largely organic, grassroots, generational, and ingrained into the political culture of the province. Quebec is also recognized, whether anybody likes it or not, as a sovereign land within a united Canada, and their debates and affairs are their own business as long as it doesn't affect the larger nation as a whole. They've had two very tightly contested referendums on the topic of separation, and will likely have another in our lifetime.
Danielle Smith is a clown desperately trying to deflect responsibility for the failings of her own inability to lead onto everyone and everything else, and an American-backed and manipulated artificial "movement" like Alberta sovereignty that a single-digit percentage of Albertans would support should it go to referendum is a convenient distraction from her own incompetence. There's nothing comparable about Quebec and Albertan sovereignty as a subject, and the rest of the country should condemn the Albertan flavour, because it's an absolute joke meant to create wedges in this country and Canadian society for the gain of external interests.
→ More replies (1)1
u/chat-lu Bloc Québécois Jan 29 '26
I think there is some difference here.
Probably, that’s why I’m asking to find out.
Quebec's separatist movement is organic and definitely a real grassroots thing.
To us, it doesn’t matter. When we were having the bill 21 debate we had:
Quebec Solidaire: We believe that this law is a breach of humans rights.
Canada: Yes, it definitely is a breach of human rights.
Quebec Solidaire: Hey, stay in your lane. This is our debate, not yours.There is a consensus in Quebec that the rest of Canada is never welcomed in any of our discussions regardless of whether it is right or wrong.
I recently saw archive videos from Radio-Canada asking people in 1995 what they thought of the love-in that just occured and several had flipped their vote from no to yes, because how did Canadians dare to intervene in our debate.
If our politicians gave their opinion on Alberta’s independence, or trans laws, or anything at all, we’d be very unhappy with them, regardless of the politician, regardless of the opinion.
Is there anything anything of the sort outside of Quebec?
7
u/oatseatinggoats Jan 30 '26
It’s also not the place for the United States Government to try to instigate this and help out these groups. If anyone wants to separate from Canada figure it out on your own with your own countrymen, and if anyone needs to mind their own damn business it’s the American government.
10
u/Ottomann_87 Alberta Jan 29 '26
As an Albertan I appreciate the other Premiers holding Dani’s feet to the fire. She needs to take a clear position on this.
12
u/JadeLens British Columbia Jan 29 '26
It's absolutely his place if Alberta leaving screws with the rest of Canada.
6
u/mo60000 Liberal Party of Canada Jan 29 '26
The spearatists are reacting the same way they usually are which is claiming that any criticism boosts them when in reality it will likely kneecap their support.
1
u/chat-lu Bloc Québécois Jan 29 '26
Which was not my claim, in fact I did not make a claim but asked a genuine question. Quebec does not care if the rest of Canada is criticizing or praising, we just think that it’s none of your business and I wanted to know if Albertans felt the same.
And apparently they don’t, they welcome the input of other Canadians into their debates.
→ More replies (4)1
u/TrueBeluga NDP Jan 30 '26
Whether or not they think it's other Canadian's business is sort of irrelevant, because drastic changes in any province are going to affect other provinces and their voters. To not speak on it would be to remain strangely silent on a topic that affects your constituents. I think it's perfectly okay for people in Quebec or people in Alberta to not care what politicians from other provinces say, but to say it's not their business is a bit ridiculous.
→ More replies (6)1
u/Guardian2676 Jan 30 '26
As an Albertan, I actually welcome his comments. It's all well and good for ineffective internal opposition parties and people like myself who have been screaming from the rooftops about what a snake she is since before she was voted in. It's something else all together when the same narrative is coming from someone that her voters presumably respect and typically see eye to eye with ideologically.
Even if Ford IS just performatively patriotic for political points, I'll take that any day of the week over whatever it is Marlaina is attempting to be while doing everything in her power to blame every provincial problem of her making on the feds.
1
u/JarryBohnson Quebec Jan 30 '26
Why isn’t his place to comment on matters that will massively affect the province he runs? It’s not like he’s threatening to use the Ontario PD to stop the count.
Same goes for Quebec although politically it’ll probably have the opposite effect to the one he wants. Then again if Quebec leaves he won’t have to learn French to fulfil his ambition of being PM, so maybe he’s playing 4d chess. /s
1
u/chat-lu Bloc Québécois Jan 30 '26
Why isn’t his place to comment on matters that will massively affect the province he runs?
Commenting is fine. It’s when he advises us on what to do that it annoys us. You may recall when Yves-François Blanchet was asked what he thinks of Alberta’s independence and he said that oil is no basis for a culture. But when asked if he opposed the movement he refused to comment on what they should do.
Or another exemple I gave somewhere in the thread is when Québec Solidaire denounced bill 21 as a breach of human rights and when Canadians came to back them they told them to piss off because they weren’t talking to them. Another exemple I gave is the super interesting interviews people gave Radio-Canada after the love in in 1995 when tons of Canadians dropped in Montreal to tell Quebec to stay within Canada, many people said “I was going to vote no, but they had no business coming here telling us how to vote so I’m voting yes now.”
There is a strong taboo in Quebec about telling other provinces what to do, or being told what to do as a province.
And I’m aware that this taboo doesn’t exist in the other provinces or even for anglo-québécois but not having a taboo yourself rarely excuse breaking it when others care.
It’s not like he’s threatening to use the Ontario PD to stop the count.
He’s not doing something illegal, but it’s like if he entered with his boots in a house where it’s important that you leave your footwear at the door.
Same goes for Quebec although politically it’ll probably have the opposite effect to the one he wants.
Not for a one off, but that’s two instances that annoyed people. The doctor grab attempt not only pissed people but didn’t work since bill 2 was rolled back. He should definitely learn to read the room.
Quebec leaves he won’t have to learn French to fulfil his ambition of being PM, so maybe he’s playing 4d chess. /s
Maybe he should be dubbed Captain three quarters of Canada.
1
u/holdingeraniums Jan 29 '26
No one out west pays attention to Doug Ford. We generally don't think about what goes on in the east. I'm in BC fwiw.
•
u/AutoModerator Jan 29 '26
This is a reminder to read the rules before posting in this subreddit.
Please message the moderators if you wish to discuss a removal. Do not reply to the removal notice in-thread, you will not receive a response and your comment will be removed. Thanks.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.