By The Canadian Press

western separation

Wheatland County council supports vote on Alberta Independence

Nov 7, 2019 | 5:12 PM

A rural municipality east of Calgary has passed a resolution that says if the federal government does not treat Alberta more fairly the province should hold an independence referendum.

The resolution was passed unanimously by Wheatland County — a sprawling district with a population of about 8,700 people.

It calls on the Alberta government to assert its constitutional rights by withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan and creating an Alberta Pension Plan.

The move comes just days after a separatist group calling for Alberta to leave Canada, Wexit Alberta, began the process to become a federal political party.

Wheatland County Coun. Jason Wilson, who introduced his proposal during Tuesday’s council meeting, said he was “by no means” a separatist, but was following up on talk about where Alberta fits into confederation.

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“Since the election of Justin Trudeau in October of 2015, (Albertan) values are no longer represented in Ottawa,” Wilson said.

“With the reelection of the Liberals, there’s no acceptance in eastern Canada for such values. The government of Canada has shown, time and time again, that our people, our industries and our culture mean nothing to them.”

Municipalities can no longer sit back and watch while its residents and their livelihoods are “under attack,” Wilson said.

“In order to protect the values that built this province, we must ensure the government of Canada understands its limitations and implements policies that are Alberta-first,” he said.

Wilson’s resolution says the province should also collect its own personal income taxes, look at replacing the RCMP, oversee its own immigration system and scrap equalization payments.

The resolution says if Ottawa balks at such changes the provincial government should hold an independence referendum.

“If the federal government does not deal with these demands in good faith; if they block, hinder, or otherwise prevent Alberta from exercising its rights as outlined above, that the Government of Alberta will hold a referendum with a clear question, as defined by The Clarity Act, on the secession of Alberta from the Canadian Confederation on October 18, 2021,” reads the resolution.