CHARBONNEAU – Alberta’s Wexit and Brexit are remarkably similar

 FEARS STOKED by separatists in Alberta remind me of Britain’s separation from the European Union.

Both movements were fueled by populism that portrayed ordinary citizens as being ignored by distant political elites.

Populist leadership in Alberta and Britain framed the issue as the “the people vs. the elites.”

In Britain, Brexit leaders such as Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson argued that bureaucrats in Brussels were undermining British sovereignty and democratic control.

In Alberta, Wexit advocates argue that Ottawa ignores Alberta’s interests, particularly regarding energy policy and equalization payments.

Alberta Premier Smith has been coy about separation. She says she does not support Alberta leaving Canada but, rather confusingly, advocates “a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.”

By using “sovereignty,” Smith dog whistles to her populist base.

In Quebec politics, sovereignty means that Quebec would become an independent country with some vague economic or political partnership with Canada.

As in Alberta, sovereignty became popular in Quebec because it sounded less abrupt or emotional than “separation” or “independence.”

A “united Canada” does not hold disconnected states.

In Britain, separatists argued that they would prosper if freed from external constraints. Brexit slogans like “Take Back Control” implied Britain would regain sovereignty, prosperity, and flexibility outside the EU.

Wexit rhetoric claims Alberta would become wealthier and more powerful if it controlled its own taxation, energy exports, and regulations.

Wealthier, they say, despite the fact that Albertans are already the wealthiest in Canada with the highest provincial median income of $88,500 (B.C. is $73,900).

While there are similarities in manner between Wexit and Brexit, there are few in substance.

Unlike Great Britain, Alberta is not a country. As a province within a federation, Alberta cannot legally separate unilaterally under Canadian constitutional law.

Britain remained a sovereign island nation with direct access to global trade routes. Alberta is landlocked and deeply integrated economically with the rest of Canada and the United States.

So what the heck is going on with the foaming-at-the-mouth separatists in Alberta?

Canadian researchers at the Global Centre for Democratic Resilience have a clue. They have been monitoring social media. In the last few months, references to Alberta separatism and Canada failing as a country rose sharply from known Russian content farms. Authors of the report said:

“Foreign adversaries are exploiting the Alberta separatist debate to erode social cohesion, deepen domestic divisions, undermine trust in democratic institutions, and amplify perceptions of political instability that damage investor confidence in Canada,”

On the surface, the website albertaseparatist.com and its associated Instagram and YouTube accounts looked like a grassroots campaign seeking independence.

However, The Globe and Mail found that the website is registered under the name James Williams of Delta, B.C. The address listed doesn’t exist in Delta, and the corresponding phone number is incorrect.

Russian motives to destabilize Western democracies are deeply rooted in Vladimir Putin’s  desire for revenge over the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. For the Kremlin, current social media subversion is a direct response to what it views as a historical injustice.

You can be sure that Russia will continue to subvert Canadians into becoming puppets of Russian with Putin pulling the strings.

David Charbonneau is a retired TRU electronics instructor who hosts a blog at http://www.eyeviewkamloops.wordpress.com.