Latest news with #anti-Liberal
CBC
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Danielle Smith's reform is nudging Alberta separation vote from 'if' toward 'when'
One hundred and seventy-seven thousand people. That's roughly 3.5 per cent of Alberta's population. It's also the amount of signatures that will be needed to force a separation referendum designed to take those five million people and their land out of Canada. Alberta independence groups had already been gathering online registrants who were keen to add their names to a petition drive when the law required far more Albertans — around 600,000 — to sign up to trigger a constitutional referendum. And then, the day after the federal election delivered a fourth consecutive Liberal government, Premier Danielle Smith's government tabled electoral reform legislation that suddenly made it far, far easier for activists to put Alberta's existence within Canada on the ballot for voters. Alberta Prosperity Project, a group that was already plotting a referendum petition drive before the Mark Carney Liberals' win, claims that it now has a sufficient number of people registered online to become signatories to meet this lower threshold. This was a federal election fought around how Canada could best unify in the face of the threat of U.S. tariffs and President Donald Trump's expressed desire to swallow our country whole. And now, dissatisfaction with that vote's results have stoked those who want a permanent rupture in Canadian unity. Three-quarters oppose Alberta separatism is widely known as a likely losing proposition — Smith herself noted to media Thursday an Angus Reid poll in early April showed 25 per cent support and 75 per cent opposition. But what she wouldn't acknowledge is that her government has helped her province's separatist movement get much closer to what they were looking for. "I'm not going to prejudge what citizens are going to do for a petition," Smith told a news conference, despite all the recent activism and publicity developing around one such petition in particular. Smith tables bill to make referendums easier as separationist sentiment grows 2 hours ago Duration 9:46 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was asked on Tuesday about her position on a referendum that would decide the province's future in Canada. Smith said she would make it easier for citizens to initiate a referendum in the province. The premier instead extolled the virtues of making it easier for citizens to practice the "purest form of democracy" on, oh, any old issue of public importance. Whether that was intended to be a wink to the grassroots anti-Liberal conservatives who form her political base or not, United Conservative Party president Rob Smith chose to see it that way. "This announcement is giving you the pathway some of you are seeking today," he posted publicly on Facebook. "And making it easier…" When a commenter said: "We want to hear a path charting to independence or 51st state," the party president replied: "Please read her announcement, Mr. Carson! It's in there…" Rob Smith (no relation to the premier) referred all questions about his social media remarks to the premier and justice minister. While you might imagine that a much lower threshold to require a sovereignty referendum would have been just what the pro-independence movement wanted and asked for, that's not the case, says one of its leaders. "In fact, in many respects we didn't want it changed because we figured that the hurdle of getting to 600,000 would get us closer to the referendum plurality as well," Dennis Modry, a co-leader of the Alberta Prosperity Project, said in an interview Thursday with CBC News. In other words, he's well aware of a newly enlarged gap between how easy it might be to trigger a binding referendum, and the much larger number of Alberta votes his side would need to actually win that ballot measure — probably more than one million. His group has been collecting names and contact info for Albertans willing to physically sign a petition when a citizen's initiative drive gets launched. He said that database had 70,000 before the election, and 120,000 more since Monday night. "The frustration with the current circumstances that Alberta finds itself in with … Eastern Canada is troublesome and troublesome to the point that there are certainly well more than the requisite number of people to force the referendum," said Modry, a former doctor. (He's also been an informal adviser to the premier, but said he hasn't discussed his referendum bid with her.) To put the 177,000 figure in perspective, consider that 69,344 Calgarians signed the petition last year to recall Mayor Jyoti Gondek. That's from a population one-third the size of Alberta, and within only 60 days; the UCP amendments to election law would give referendum-seekers 120 days to gather enough autographs. Meanwhile, 630,442 Albertans voted for the federal Liberals, whose victory appears to have stoked so much of this "West wants out" fervour. Because Smith's electoral reforms could make the referendum less of an if than a when, that's a question worth asking Modry. He said his group will likely launch the petition drive in a matter of weeks, potentially this summer — the referendum question's wording is still to be determined. Modry said he'd hope to trigger a referendum this summer once the provincial rules are changed, and would like to see it on the ballot in conjunction with this fall's municipal elections. However, the timing of a vote is up to the provincial government. Smith has said she's committed to Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada — for remaining in the country, but still wielding elbows to try to push Ottawa away from what the UCP perceive as intrusions into provincial jurisdiction. That's why Smith announced its latest constitutional challenge against a federal emissions policy on Thursday, this time the Clean Electricity Regulations. The Alberta NDP is far from persuaded. It's calling Smith a separatist herself. "Even flirting with a referendum to separate kills investment in the economy and damages relationships with First Nations people," New Democrat MLA Christina Gray said Thursday in question period. "It's not going to help. It is going to make us the laughing-stock of Canada." Multiple First Nations chiefs have warned Smith to tamp down separatist threats, because Alberta is on the land of Treaties 6, 7 and 8. "Those are treaties with the Crown, and Alberta lacks the authority to interfere with or negate those treaties," Troy Knowlton, chief of the Piikani Nation, said in a statement. "Proceeding down a path toward separation cannot be undertaken without the consent of Alberta's First Nations." Popular opinion itself may make the referendum a doomed proposition, before any reckoning with Indigenous law or federal negotiation. Tim Hoven, a conservative grassroots organizer who said he's pushing for separation because he doesn't "believe that Carney's going to do anything for Alberta," said there would be no chance of a successful referendum any time in the next six months. "There's not enough time to change people's hearts," he said. According to his math, around seven-eighths of all Albertans who just voted for the federal Conservatives would have to back sovereignty for a "Yes" side to win. And one Alberta Conservative heavyweight is positioning himself as an Alberta federalist. Former premier Jason Kenney posted a long message denouncing the Alberta separatist threat as a doomed movement that distracts from a productive conversation about Alberta's place in Canada. "Separatists can't elect a dog catcher in Alberta," he wrote. "So why allow their futile ranting to dominate the debate, distract from the real issues, and distort Alberta's real identity as a proud, confident, patriotic province?" Despite Smith making it far simpler to trigger a referendum, Hoven expects the current premier and her UCP members will stay federalist and won't help the independence movement. That would leave many conservative activists fighting on their own, and could prompt an exodus of members from the UCP, said Hoven, a key figure in the 2022 push to topple Kenney as party leader. Sure, the UCP remains atop Alberta's political food chain, boasting this week $3.3 million in donations in the year's first three months, compared to $1 million for the NDP. But seemingly out of nowhere, a separatist upstart party named the Alberta Republicans pulled in $122,970 by the end of March, and have announced veteran conservative organizer Cam Davies as leader. The separatist movement appears far from majority support thus far. But it's proving quite capable of making some noise, and a new, easier path to forcing a referendum looks likely to keep the volume cranked high for months to come.
ABC News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Gender 'shaping' federal election as Vote Compass finds gen Z women are deeply progressive
Emma Garvey is voting for the first time at this federal election and her political views are similar to many women her age. She places herself on the left side of politics, drawn to progressive parties and policies. New Vote Compass data shows the majority of women under the age of 29 identify with the political left, creating a gap between them and their male peers. The 18-year-old, like many in her friendship circle, is still weighing up who to vote for, but she does know who she won't be supporting. Emma Garvey from Penrith is preparing to vote in her first federal election. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) "I feel like a lot of [my friends] are more anti-Dutton than they are pro-Albanese, like they're more anti-Liberal than they are pro-Labor," she said. "I feel like we've seen [Peter] Dutton trying to bring in that kind of [US President Donald] Trump politics, or the kind of Trump policies. "We've seen what's been happening over there [in the US] … young women are really worried about the risks that can pose to us, especially around women's rights." Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on According to Vote Compass data, 67 per cent of gen Z women identified as left or moderately left, this compared to 52 per cent of women from other generations. While overseas there's been an observed trend of young men drifting to the right, Vote Compass data suggests gen Z men in Australia often consider themselves progressive. Vote Compass found 50 per cent of males under 29 years old described themselves moderately left or left, compared to only 40 per cent of men from other generations. The data comes from a demographically weighted sample of more than 350,000. Gender 'shaping the election debate' In the last two elections, only 26 per cent of gen Z, those born between 1996 and 2012, reported voting for the Coalition, according to the 2022 Australian Election Study. "No other generation records such skewed preferences at similarly early stages of the life course," the study's authors wrote in the report. Female support for the Coalition was at an historic low in 2022, the report found. "The Coalition has never attracted such a low share of the vote overall, but from women in particular," the report said. Photo shows Hannah Ferguson Gen Z are more progressive than previous generations at the same age, with young women sitting furthest left on the political spectrum. Michelle Arrow, a history professor from Macquarie University, said across the world women have been moving to the left, leaving behind their male counterparts. "It's happening across the many western democracies, where women's vote is shifting from a more conservative base, which it was right up until the 1980s and 1990s," she said. "It reflects those broader social shifts that we've seen, more young women are in higher education, women still remain dominant in kind of care professions." The 2022 Australian election was defined by gender issues, but this campaign was different, Professor Arrow said. "[The 2022 election] was defined by allegations around misconduct in Parliament House, the rise of Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins as very powerful young advocates for women, the march for justice," she said. "I think gender is not being discussed as much of a frontline issue as it was in the 2022 campaign … but I think gender is still very much shaping the election debate." Young women 'not recognised' in campaigns Vote Compass data found gen Z women were more likely to be supportive of social and environmental causes when compared to other age groups. Australians under the age of 45, gen Z, and millennial generations now outnumber baby boomers as the largest voting bloc in this election, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. "Young women are not yet recognised as a central or a really important voting category," Professor Arrow said. "We still see a lot of the offerings more broadly in the campaign have been around cost of living relief, rather than things that have been specifically targeted to young women." Young Labor sought to attract new members alongside other parties at University of Wollongong's orientation week. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) Young voters can be uninformed or unengaged with the electoral process, a Grifith University study found earlier this year. Almost half of gen Z who did vote in the 2022 federal election said their main reason for doing so was to avoid being fined, the report found. Stella Giacon, 19, is frustrated by the lack of political action on the issues that matter to her, which she admits leads her to "disassociate" from politics. Stella Giacon says she wants to be able to vote for someone who has the best interests of young people in mind. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) "I'm extremely concerned about what's going on with our climate … I want to live in a world where polar bears and tigers exist, and I can explain to my children they're real," she said. The University of Wollongong student is frustrated by what she perceives to be a lack of understanding of the serious issues facing young people. "Just look at the problem of student debt, the current living situation for lots of young people," she said. "Rent is extremely high, wages aren't going up at the same rate of as rent, and I think it'd just be great if we could vote for someone who has our best interests in mind as the young people of this country." Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Professor Arrow believes Labor may have done a better job than the Coalition at appealing to young women this election. "We've seen some male politicians going on to influence the podcasts and trying to engage with younger voters in that way," she said. "We're seeing some kind of missteps from the Coalition's part, which perhaps reflects that they haven't learned the lessons of the 2022 election — most notably, you can see on the back flip around working from home." Emma Garvey doesn't believe the major parties have policies aimed at helping young people. ( ABC News: Billy Cooper ) Ms Garvey believes the major parties can offer much more to young people. "I feel like they're trying to appeal to young voters in general through their use of like TikTok and just jumping on trends randomly," she said. "But I don't think they're doing a lot with policy wise to really connect with them." Vote Compass is an educational tool designed to promote electoral literacy and civic engagement. While not a conventional public opinion poll, Vote Compass responses can be analysed using statistical methods similar to those used in polling to try to adjust for sampling bias. Responses have been weighted by gender, age, education, language, religion, place of residence and past vote to account for the selection effects of the sample, enabling us to make statistical inferences about the Australian population.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
The 'Brantford Boomer' is going viral — what really happened?
Social Sharing An image of a retired Liberal supporter looking into a camera and giving the middle finger with both hands has gone viral — especially in right-wing social media circles — as the "Brantford Boomer." The brief interaction between the supporter and a cameraperson was just one of many confrontational moments that took place last Friday between people in line to attend a rally for Liberal Leader Mark Carney in Brantford, Ont., and people there to protest it. In the hour or so before the event, there were several more uses of the middle finger, terse exchanges between rally attendees and protesters who shouted slurs and repeated conspiracy theories. But it was double bird gesture that inspired countless memes, spinoffs (like a parody X account) and expressions of outrage, including one reaction that notes the photo "will define this Canadian election." Matt Janes, the subject of the photo, told CBC News that while he regrets his actions, he also rejects the implication his gesture symbolized apathy toward the concerns of younger Canadians when he was reacting to the cameraperson and protesters he says were antagonizing people there for the rally. The image was first posted by Caryma Sa'd, a lawyer and political satirist who often covers protests and political events. A cameraperson who works with Sa'd captured the moment. WATCH | The moment behind the viral 'Brantford Boomer' meme: The Liberal 'Brantford Boomer' going viral — what really happened? 4 minutes ago Duration 3:03 Social media users quickly discovered Janes' identity and posted it online. As a result of the outrage and attention he received, Janes deleted his Facebook page. It also prompted a brewery where he was once part owner to release a statement noting that he'd left the business in 2022. "It's been a week from hell, it's taken over my life," Janes told CBC News London in an interview this week. "I'm just a normal, regular person," he said. "I reacted in the moment and it's just been blown way out of proportion." Protesters, rally attendees exchange words The CBC News visual investigations team reviewed and verified other social media footage from the event to help determine what led up to the roughly 30-second interaction that has gone viral. Many of the protesters in attendance were wearing clothing and gear supporting Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre or held anti-Liberal accessories, including a "F--k Carney" flag. The two sides were kept apart by security and segregated to opposite sides of a driveway leading into the event venue — a Brantford brewery. Social media footage shows protesters used megaphones to yell a series of vulgar slogans. They called Liberal politicians and their supporters "pedophiles," and "pedo-lovers," used homophobic slurs and linked Carney to convicted sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. One protester said Carney was "here to liquidate Canada." In several instances over the course of the hour, people from both sides approached one another to exchange words before being separated by security guards. Liberal supporters also yelled back at the protesters. Some supporters said the protesters were out of shape, or uneducated. One Liberal supporter told protesters to "move out of their parents' basement." Over the course of roughly an hour ahead of the event, a number of Liberal supporters can also be seen showing their middle finger to the protesters. Violent language used during protest Some of the language was more violent. In one instance, a protester says "If anyone throws a shot, they're going the f--k down." At one point, one man from a separate area across the street approaches protesters and tells them to get off his street. One protester urges the man to hit him. In another instance, a protester tells a Liberal supporter giving him the finger to back away or "I'll get the wirecutters and take that finger off." The incident with Janes actually occurs after much of the crowd has already entered the venue. The interaction can be seen from an alternative angle, in video posted on social media. There does not appear to be significant interaction between the cameraperson and Janes prior to the gesture, though it's not possible to hear the audio. In a video of the event shared by Sa'd and first shown publicly on Alberta-based talk show Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen, Janes can be heard saying to the cameraperson that the gesture is "for you," and the cameraperson reacts with confusion. There are roughly 10 seconds between when the gesture is first seen on the alternative angle and the beginning of the video shared by Sa'd — it's unclear what takes place during that time. What is clear from the video is that Janes and the woman he appears to be accompanying do not know who the cameraperson is and assume he is from a right-wing media outlet. The cameraman says that he's an independent journalist. "Independent? Just like Rebel News and True North," the woman says in the video. The cameraperson calls Sa'd to come talk to the couple, but Janes says he does not wish to talk, then turns his back. The alternative angle shows the couple continuing along with the line into the event while the cameraperson remains standing in place. Janes told CBC News that the idea that has grown out of his gesture — of an older generation putting down a younger one — is not what he intended. "That's totally false and that's totally wrong … It was really just giving the finger to this cameraman and those protesters that were harassing us — regular people who were in line to see our prime minister speak."
