https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/stephan-a-referendum-on-independence-is-good-for-alberta/72285
Jason Stephan was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Red Deer-South on April 16, 2019, and re-elected on May 29, 2023.

A referendum on independence is good for Alberta. Referendums trust Albertans, allowing them to inform themselves with the facts and then vote, seeking freedom and prosperity for themselves and their families.

Signing the petition to have a referendum vote is different from the referendum vote itself. Signing the petition supports your right to vote and decide on the objective merits, yes or no.

This right to vote should not be presumed; it must be earned. I invite Albertans to act and sign the petition, and invite all who love freedom and prosperity to do the same.

If Albertans do not act, there will not be a vote.

This referendum will hold Ottawa accountable, provide an opportunity for civil and honest discourse in the public square, and let the truth prevail.

Motivations for signing the petition include the following:

1. Canada is in serious decline.

While Canada has the potential to be the most free and prosperous country in the world, it is not, and it never will be.

Canada’s GDP per capita is falling like a rock, now comparable to the poorest of the US states. On average, the US now produces about 50% more in GDP per person than Canada.

Canada is still one of the best countries in the world, but it is a first-world country moving towards a third-world country.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts Canada will be the WORST performing advanced economy among its 38 member countries in terms of GDP per capita growth over the next few decades, including 42% behind the US for the 2030-2060 period.

Ergo, the average Canadian will become much poorer than the average American.

Much of this loss is due to stupid laws and policies emanating out of Ottawa.

Some of these laws also erode Albertans’ freedoms in favour of a nanny state.

Ottawa has made itself a danger and a threat to freedom and prosperity, the very things it has the stewardship to protect.

Ottawa and many of its institutions have become broken and corrupted.

For Albertans to pretend that Ottawa bureaucrats, technocrats, politicians, including career politicians in Alberta with fat federal government pensions, activist judges, and socialist politicians in other provinces (collectively, the “Ottawa Establishment”) will fix Canada is a FALSE hope.

With trade negotiations on the horizon with the US, it will not be surprising if “ELBOWS UP” and Ottawa Establishment speeches disparaging the US do not end well.

Those who are awake and alive to the truth of where all of this is leading are rightly concerned and alarmed. How can Albertans protect themselves from being dragged into economic decline with the rest of Canada?

2. Ottawa wants Alberta broken, too.

Historically, Alberta has led Canada in key measures such as GDP per capita, business investment per worker, private sector employment, etc.

But we could be so much more.

Albertans are producers, rejecting socialist and woke values that produce nothing. Many in Ottawa resent Alberta, imposing policies that single it out, seeking to attack, hold back, or drag Alberta down.

Premier Danielle Smith has made progress on rolling back some of these hostile policies, including the so-called “9 Bad Laws.” But this rollback is partial, motivated out of a bankrupt Ottawa’s desperate need for Alberta’s money and not out of a desire to treat Alberta fairly, and always subject to reinstatement should any prime minister choose to abuse power in hostile ways towards Alberta. We know this because that is how the “9 Bad Laws” were forced onto Albertans in the first place.

And there is another class of bad laws, the LOOTING laws that will NEVER be rolled back.

Every year, Alberta businesses and workers transfer about $20 billion more to Ottawa than Albertans get back from Ottawa. Over the years, these amounts have compounded into a GIANT number, over $600 BILLION, amounting to over $100,000 for every man, woman, and child in Alberta.

One such transfer is equalization — every year, Quebec gets billions in equalization, this year over $13 billion. Every year, Alberta gets NOTHING under this de facto socialist welfare program, but Alberta workers and businesses pay billions into it.

Just imagine if Albertans did not have to provide tens of billions every year that Ottawa spends and often wastes outside Alberta?

Would Alberta have a deficit? Would Alberta have more capacity to fund public services? How much could we cut taxes for Albertans?

3. Canada will not fix itself.

Canada’s Constitution is RIGGED against Alberta, and that will NEVER change.

One example, the maritime provinces, which have 30 seats in the Senate. Alberta has about double their population and only six seats in the Senate.

But this unfairness will never change; the maritime provinces will block it.

Equalization is also in the Constitution. Albertans voted in a 2021 referendum to get rid of equalization.

But Albertans are ignored. Why? Because the Premier of Quebec said one of his favourite things about Canada is equalization, and as Quebec and other provinces want equalization funded by Albertans, they will block the removal of it.

4. Albertans should reject gaslighting and fearmongering.

The Ottawa Establishment does not want Albertans to have a referendum on independence. The status quo is their licence to continue to abuse Alberta businesses and workers.

Albertans should not expect to hear from them about how Alberta has it so good in Canada. The hard facts do not support this.

But expect the Ottawa Establishment to engage in lawfare, fearmonger, and seek to gaslight any independence referendum, alleging it causes economic uncertainty. Ironically, their gaslighting ignores what this referendum is seeking to stop: the perpetual economic uncertainty caused
beconomic warfare and stupid laws from Ottawa, which, in total, HAS COST ALBERTANS HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS.

The status quo is unacceptable, and it will get worse.

Sign the petition.

Alberta is a land of freedom and prosperity. We must be vigilant to keep it that way.”