Diane Francis: Kenney's plan to get Alberta out from under Trudeau before he completely destroys it

Diane Francis: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney came out fighting this weekend and, as many of us have recommended, embarked on a “workaround” strategy to get out from under Trudeau and the Laurentian elites who still control Canada.Jim Wells/Postmedia News files

Kenney’s workaround emulates Quebec’s near-sovereignty autonomy, aimed at escaping fed policies rigged to bribe Quebec with Alberta money

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s father rolled out the National Energy Program in 1980 — a punitive tax grab for Alberta’s oil revenues to pay for the Liberal welfare state. Years later, Justin Trudeau did a redo by discriminating against Alberta’s oil industry to pay for his welfare state, phoney climate agenda and Quebec goodies.

But again, the jig’s up and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney came out fighting this weekend and, as many of us have recommended, embarked on a “workaround” strategy to get out from under Trudeau and the Laurentian elites who still control Canada.

Instead of a national energy grab, this Trudeau has cloaked himself in green by attacking the oil industry without even addressing the real problem which is demand.

Kenney’s workaround emulates Quebec’s near-sovereignty autonomy as well as is aimed at getting out from under the equalization transfer system and other fed policies that are rigged to bribe Quebec with Alberta money.

“Quebec announced a $4 billion surplus after getting $13 billion in equalization transfer payments from Alberta,” said the agitated premier in a speech Saturday at the Manning Conference I attended in Red Deer.

For example, he said, Ottawa has overcharged Alberta $1.7 billion in transfer overpayments since 2015 — created after Ottawa made an unfair adjustment to benefit Quebec. He wants an immediate rebate and, frankly, if not paid within 30 days, then I believe Alberta should sue Ottawa, plus penalties and interest.

This is policy malpractice on a grand scale. Attacking Alberta’s oil industry — the fourth-largest in the world — harms the province, its industry, its people, and Canada. In the past five years, Alberta’s economy has shrunk, unemployment soared and incomes declined.

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Source: Diane Francis | Financial Post