Value of Confederation for Alberta questioned

I was sitting with a friend recently. We were discussing Alberta separation and Alberta's current position in Confederation. He brought up a very interesting perspective.

Looking at Confederation from an Albertan's point of view, as an Albertan, would you join Confederation today if these were the terms?

1. Seventy to 80 per cent of your resource revenue will be given to someone else.
2. There will be elections every four to five years and your vote won't matter.
3. The majority of the Confederation will implement policies that will prevent you from selling your product. The majority of the Confederation members will block and not allow you to transport your product to international markets.
4. A large segment of the Confederation will go out of their way to not purchase your products, then go out and purchase those products from another country.
5. One of the members of the Confederation will be guaranteed 25 per cent of the seats in Parliament in perpetuity. Another member will be way over-represented by population.
6. When calculating your contribution to the Confederation, the terms/formula (equalization) will be different for you so as to favour other members.
7. Not speaking French will preclude you from working in the majority of the Confederation's public service, including public office like the prime minister.
8. Corruption in government will have no consequences or recourse.
9. Media will be given public funds from the Confederation's national government. (What countries have state-sponsored media)?
10. Three very large parcels of land will be expropriated from you. Removing control of those assets including all revenue generated by those lands (Banff, Jasper and Wood Buffalo). Employment in those Alberta lands excludes anyone from Alberta who does not speak French.
11. The Confederation's national government would spend massive amounts of money running up an unrepayable debt; very little of which will be spent in Alberta. But you will be responsible for the repayment of that debt.

These are 11 points; I’m sure there are many more. After reading this, would you sign and join this Confederation? This is the position in which Alberta finds itself. Personally I think one would have to be insane to ink this document.

Albertans hold onto this Confederation with warm fuzzy feelings; feelings that the majority of this Confederation do not have for Alberta. It is time for Albertans to pull their heads out of the sand and face the truth.

Jim Schulz,

Olds