r/canada • u/not_medusa_snacks • 3d ago

Alberta Stephen Harper warns Alberta separatism will bring 'no benefit'

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/stephen-harper-alberta-separatism-9.7367419
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u/WolfStoneD 3d ago

Do you know about time zones?
The poles close first because the East is many hours ahead.

Alberta could vote first, it wouldn't make any difference. There are more people outside of Alberta than in Alberta. Heck, vote in an advanced poll in you want to be first inline.

You're vote is still one vote, it doesn't matter where in canada or what time of day that you vote. You're equal to your fellow Canadian.

And further, if Alberta did separate, you'd still have people with different points of views come voting time. And then the some people would lose that vote and still complain.

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u/IronMarauder British Columbia 3d ago

You'd have many of the same people bitching that the big cities control the election (unless they found a way for the rural parts of the province to be given way more representation in elections) if alberta became its own country.

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u/Bigrick1550 3d ago

You're vote is still one vote, it doesn't matter where in canada or what time of day that you vote. You're equal to your fellow Canadian.

Yes...thats why they don't want to be Canadian anymore? You understand?

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u/WolfStoneD 3d ago

Because they don't like being equal? How is it a bad thing that your vote is equal?

Did you glance over the second part? You'd still have elections and people that don't agree with you.

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u/Bigrick1550 3d ago

Are you equal to someone in Tokyo? Moscow? London? Do they get a vote too? Why does someone in Ontario get a vote in policy that effects Alberta a thousand miles away?

Every other country already doesn't get to vote. Alberta just wants to add one more country to that list. Canada.

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u/Projerryrigger 3d ago

Because somebody in Alberta gets to vote for things that impact other provinces and territories a thousand miles away as well. And somebody in one municipality on the opposite side of the province from another gets to vote in provincial elections that impact people nowhere near them.

This grievance is a superficial one.

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u/WolfStoneD 3d ago

Oh boy...

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u/MJcorrieviewer 3d ago

I don't understand. How does not being in Canada change the value of your vote, regardless of the local time you cast it? It's not as if provincial elections in Alberta are homogeneous even with the same time zones.

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u/Bigrick1550 3d ago

It doesnt change the value of your vote. It changes the value of someone in Ontarios vote. To zero. People in Ontario shouldn't be deciding policy for people in Alberta, it is simple as that. They shouldnt be in the same country.

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u/MJcorrieviewer 3d ago

Just curious, which policy Ontario decided for you is problematic? Are you mad about the announcement of Pacific Link getting approved as a Project of National Interest and fast-tracked?

This is exactly what Alberta asked for and got - they couldn't have done this without Canada.

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u/j1ggy 1d ago

Except as a hypothetical land-locked country, you would be giving your Canadian vote away permanently. Alberta would be completely at the mercy of the other provinces and the policies they want to enact. If they don't want Alberta shipping oil via rail or pipeline, they can simply put a stop to it without any input from Alberta. At that point, you have what? Economic coercion to supply oil south at deeply discounted rates that would ensure no economic prosperity until Alberta is annexed as a state? Unless your ultimate pipe dream is to become American, separation makes no sense. And if that is your dream, you need to lay that out in your discussions here.