Ford: Premier's referendum shell game opens the door for all kinds of citizen actions — like hospital parking
If Albertans need a referendum, there are many more pressing issues than separation.
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Let's not waste the premier's actions. She talks about respecting citizens' decisions, so why not take advantage of her assertions?
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Changes in the legalities required for a citizen referendum are focused on the province's place in Canada, but there is an opportunity for the rest of us to have at it as well.
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How about a referendum on hospital parking? All we need is a concerted, organized group from across Alberta willing to collect signatures from 10 per cent of those who voted, or 175,000 signatures. The premier herself said the new elections bill is designed to give 'everyday' Albertans a bigger say in the province's affairs.
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Let's do it. This has a more profound effect on individual lives than some chimera of separation.
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The premier is playing to her 'base.' She is not talking about most of us in Calgary or Edmonton. She's making demands of Ottawa because that makes her look stronger, more determined, for rural folks and urban right-wingers. One can almost hear the Ram 1500 and Ford F-Series truck owners cheering her on.
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But wait a minute. I know no Albertan who wants to be a separate nation. I do know a lot of people who believe we have been badly treated by Ottawa.
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But let's deal with more immediate problems affecting us. Don't think the 24-hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year hospital parking charges are outrageous? Let me suggest that you have never had to visit a hospital daily, not knowing how long you must do this.
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And visitors aren't the only ones. Our 'democratic' Alberta Health Services makes everybody pay — doctors, nurses, health-care aides. The only people in any hospital not paying for parking are volunteers.
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I'll bet an overwhelming number of Albertans across the province who have had to fork over a sizable chunk of change to visit a sick or injured child, parent or spouse would be the first to sign. (And this should spark other provinces to follow the example set by Nova Scotia, when it cancelled all hospital parking fees as of May 1.)
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When we left Episode 1, the aging woman complaining about her hospital experiences had been released. She was sorry to leave the kindness of so many strangers and glad to be rid of the supercilious, self-important ones. She had been infuriated by cloyingly sweet voices with which she had been addressed, as if she were a simple two-year-old. Referring to elderly patients and their families as 'my dear' should result in a firm reprimand from a supervisor.
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Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
As separatist talk simmers in Alberta and Quebec, Canadians say breaking up will be hard to do: poll
Against a backdrop of fresh talk of Alberta separation and the constant spectre of Quebec's sovereignty movement, a new national opinion poll found that most Canadians say breaking up will be hard to do. A large majority of respondents nationally said any secession by one province would require negotiation with all provinces and must be supported by a clear majority of voters in the province, and most said separation cannot be a unilateral decision, and it should require approval by the federal House of Commons. A national opinion survey , conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies and provided to Postmedia, was designed to probe Canadians attitudes about the process for separation, rather than their views on separation itself, and what should follow a successful provincial leave referendum. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'The bottom line is that Canadians across the country envision the process as much more complex than a simple majority vote on a referendum question,' said Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies. Public discussion about Alberta separating from Canada drew more mainstream attention in May, after the federal election returned the Liberal Party to government and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tabled provincial legislation to make it easier for Albertans to trigger a referendum on the province leaving the rest of Canada. Smith said she would hold such a referendum if a citizen petition called for it. Separatists in Quebec hope the renewed discourse on separation will boost their long-standing desire for independent statehood, which twice went to provincial referendum which failed to support sovereignty, in 1980 and 1995. The Parti Québécois plans another provincial sovereignty referendum in the years ahead. That creates plenty of secessionist talk and debate, but it has been 30 years since Canada has seen an actual separation referendum. 'Many Canadians of voting age and, of course, most immigrants didn't experience the last referendum 30 years ago, but there is a growing consensus that the rest of the country would want a say in the process and secession would not be simple,' said Jedwab. The poll asked 1,537 people across Canada a series of questions on the mechanism of a possible separation. A majority of Canadians said any referendum question regarding provincial separation from Canada must be unambiguous, with 59 per cent of respondents agreeing with that, with only 11 per cent disagreeing, and 30 per cent saying they don't know or declined to answer. Respondents in Quebec and Alberta showed the strongest support for an unambiguous question, at 71 and 62 per cent, respectively. A clear majority of Canadians, 66 per cent, said there must be a clear majority of voters supporting separation in a separatist referendum for it to be considered — with Quebecers the softest on the issue. The poll showed that 76 per cent in Atlantic Canada, 75 per cent in B.C., 72 per cent in Alberta, 66 per cent in Ontario, and 62 per cent in Manitoba-Saskatchewan agreed that there must be a clear majority of voter support for separation. In Quebec it was 55 per cent, still a majority, with 26 per cent saying it was not necessary, by far the highest in the country. A majority of respondents in every region agreed that a province separating from Canada would require negotiations with all provinces — even respondents in Quebec, although they were the softest on the issue. Nationally, 62 per cent of respondents agreed that negotiation was necessary for provincial separation, with 19 per cent saying it wasn't needed and another 19 per cent saying they didn't know or declined to answer. The age of respondents impacted how strongly that feeling was, with the youngest cohort of 18 to 34 year olds showing a low of 56 per cent agreement, the middle cohort of 35 to 54 year olds rising to 61 per cent agreement, and the oldest cohort, those 55 years old and above, being the strongest in agreement at 67 per cent. The regional breakdown on the need for negotiations was lowest in the two provinces most active with separatist ambition — Alberta at 52 per cent and Quebec at 57. The highest support for the need for negotiation was in Atlantic Canada (67 per cent), followed by Ontario (66), B.C. (65), and Manitoba-Saskatchewan (61). Most Canadians said that even after a favourable provincial vote for separation, a province cannot unilaterally leave Canada, the poll found, although there is a lot of uncertainty about the issue. Canadians will want agreement on the question Nationally, 42 per cent said a province cannot make its own decision to separate from Canada while 22 per cent said such a decision by a province was enough. A large number, 36 per cent, said they didn't know or didn't answer the question. Only respondents in B.C. delivered a majority response dismissing unilateral departure — barely — at 51 per cent. Other regions followed: Ontario (46 per cent), Atlantic Canada (44), Alberta (43), Manitoba-Saskatchewan (42), and Quebec (31). Quebec was the only region with more people embracing unilateral separation than dismissing the idea: 32 per cent said it was OK, while 37 per cent said they weren't sure or didn't answer. While a majority of those in British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, and Ontario said a referendum question on separation should require the approval of the federal House of Commons, most Quebecers and Albertans disagreed. In Alberta, 43 per cent said a referendum question should not require a federal parliamentary vote, while 35 per cent agreed it should. That's even stronger than in Quebec, where 36 per cent said it should not require a federal approval, with 34 per cent saying it should. Those in B.C. showed the strongest support for federal input, at 60 per cent, followed by Atlantic Canada at 58 per cent, and Ontario at 55 per cent. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, pooled together in the poll, 43 per cent agreed there should be parliamentary approval, with 21 per cent saying it shouldn't be required and 36 per cent saying they didn't know or declined to answer. 'Canadians will want agreement on the question and will seemingly not be inclined to allow an outcome that involves a breakup to be established as set out solely by a province that wishes to separate,' said Jedwab. 'Without previous discussion around the process and the desired outcome, the risk is that results will not secure required recognition.' The public opinion survey was conducted online with 1,537 respondents in Canada from May 16 to 18. As a non-probability sample in a panel survey, traditional margins of error do not apply. • Email: ahumphreys@ | Twitter: AD_Humphreys Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
National Observer
7 hours ago
- National Observer
Many Canadians less confident in future of trade relationship with US: Poll
Almost two in five Canadians say recent court rulings in the US, and the ongoing legal battle over President Donald Trump 's tariffs, have made them feel less confident in the future of trade relations, a new poll suggests. The poll suggests that 38 per cent of Canadians say they feel less confident now about the future of Canada-US trade as well as trade between the US and other countries. Sixteen per cent of Canadian respondents say they feel more confident, while 37 per cent say their level confidence in the future of the trade relationship hasn't changed. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. The poll also surveyed more than 1,000 Americans. Their responses to the poll were substantially similar. Thirty-six per cent of American respondents said the recent court rulings and the ongoing legal battle over Trump's tariffs made them feel less confident about the future of trade with Canada and with the rest of the world. Another 19 per cent reported feeling more confident and 31 per cent said their opinion hadn't changed. Trump's tariffs are still hitting most countries around the world after a federal appeals court temporarily paused a decision last week by the US Court of International Trade to block his tariffs. The court said Trump went beyond his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to take his trade war to the world. A federal appeals court granted the Trump administration's emergency motion for a temporary stay, allowing those tariffs to stay in place for now. The poll suggests that Albertans are reporting the lowest level of confidence in the state of trade relations — 48 per cent of them told Leger they feel less confident about the future of Canada—US and US–international trade relations. That's compared to 38 per cent of Quebecers, 37 per cent of Ontarians and 35 per cent of people in BC. Among Canadians 55 years of age and older, 43 per cent reported feeling less confident in trade relations; just 33 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 said the same. More women than men said they were losing confidence. While many Canadians expressed concern about the future of trade relationships, many also said the fact that US courts are trying to limit Trump's impact on trade policy increases their trust in America's institutions. The poll suggests that 45 per cent of Canadians say their trust in US democratic institutions has increased, while 17 per cent say it has decreased. Almost a third of Canadians said it has had no impact on their opinion. Quebecers were the most likely to say their trust had increased, at 54 per cent, compared to 45 per cent of people in BC, 43 per cent of Ontarians and 39 per cent of Albertans. Canadians aged 55 and over were more likely to say their trust had increased than younger Canadians. Among the Americans surveyed, 38 per cent said the fact that US courts are trying to limit Trump's trade powers increases their trust in US democratic institutions. Another 24 per cent said it decreases their trust and 26 per cent said it had no impact on their opinion. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that if there had been only one ruling — the one that blocked the tariffs — the confidence levels recorded by the poll might have been higher. "There was a second ruling and I think, if anything, it's left people a bit uncertain about the situation," Enns said, noting that levels of concern seemed to be higher earlier in the year. "I think the confidence, it's going to take some time to rebuild that." The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
National Observer
a day ago
- National Observer
A new poll says Canadians are divided on whether the US is an 'ally' or 'enemy' country
Faced with a trade war they didn't start, Canadians are divided on whether they see the United States as an "enemy" or an "ally," a new poll suggests. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. Almost a third of respondents said they view the US as a "neutral country," while 27 per cent said they consider it an "ally" and 26 per cent see it as an "enemy country." Just over a third of men said they consider the US an ally, compared with one in five women. Almost 30 per cent of women said they view the US as an enemy, compared with 22 per cent of men. Older Canadians, those at least 55 years of age, were more likely to consider the US an enemy than younger Canadians. Regionally Albertans were most likely to consider the US an ally while Ontarians and British Columbians were most likely to see it as an enemy. The difference is starkest between political party supporters, with 44 per cent of Conservative supporters saying they view the US as an ally, compared with 17 per cent of Liberal supporters and 12 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. Comparatively 16 per cent of Conservative supporters said they view the US as an enemy country, while 36 per cent of Liberal supporters and 41 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to double his levies on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent. He claimed the measure will protect the country's national security and domestic industries. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his government will need to take "some time" to craft a response to the increased US tariffs. The number of Canadians that report seeing the US as an enemy country has dropped by six points since mid-March. At that time, 32 per cent of survey respondents told Leger they viewed the country as an enemy. The number of Canadians that view the US as an ally also decreased by two percentage points since March, from 29 to 27 per cent, while the number that view it as a neutral country increased by six percentage points, from 24 to 30 per cent. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that, broadly speaking, the patterns haven't changed much since the organization asked the question in February — when 27 per cent of respondents said they viewed the US as an enemy and 30 per cent said they viewed it as an ally. Enns said the decline in the number of people saying the US is an enemy likely reflects the overall sentiment on tariffs. "It's still obviously there and, you know, clearly now we're dealing with higher steel tariffs, but the commentary coming from the White House and the Trump administration seems to have dissipated a bit and that's probably helping just tone things down," he said. Enns said Canada also has a new prime minister with a mandate that might "take the edge off things." "I think that just keeps things more at a moderate level, and I think that reflects in people maybe feeling a little less threatened by the US," Enns said. Enns said political and business leaders have also sent a consistent message that the US remains an important trading partner. He said that may encourage Canadians to believe there's a way to "work things out." The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
