CORY MORGAN： Fight the idea, not the vote
Episode Stats
Words per minute
205.1915
Summary
The Clarity Act is being challenged in court by Indigenous leaders in Alberta, who want to block the process of holding a referendum on Alberta's independence from the Federation of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a province has the right to hold its own referendum on the question of whether or not to secede from the federation.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
let's talk about independence movements getting rolling and some of the hazards going on so this
00:00:13.440
is an independence movement continues to grow and organize across western canada the most
00:00:17.580
irresponsible and unprincipled thing opponents to the movement could possibly do is block the
00:00:22.460
legal mechanism of separation provided by the clarity act yeah that's exactly what they're
00:00:26.440
trying to do. Never while Quebec prepared to hold independence referenda were Quebecers told they
00:00:31.940
weren't allowed to have the vote. There are many opponents to Quebec's independence movement of
00:00:35.340
course but none of any prominence dared to tell them they didn't even have the right to hold a
00:00:39.380
referendum. In the case of Alberta though opponents to independence are telling Albertans you aren't
00:00:43.620
allowed to leave. In fact you aren't even allowed to hold the question. Is it any wonder the analogy
00:00:48.740
of an abused spouse is often used when describing Alberta's relationship with the federation? You're
00:00:53.900
not allowed to leave. Let's get right to the point. The secession of a province from the Federation
00:00:58.920
in Canada is perfectly legal. The Clarity Act lays out the pathway to get there. People can
00:01:04.280
certainly question whether or not Alberta be able to pass all the hurdles provided within the Act,
00:01:08.360
and it's going to be a tough job to make it through all those hoops and requirements.
00:01:11.780
To say a province hasn't the right to pursue the steps laid out in the Act, though, is an outright
00:01:15.580
lie, and it only heightens division and anger. Alberta NDP leader Nahed Nenshi has partnered
00:01:21.220
with Indigenous chiefs in Alberta to oppose the process of independence. His party has been
00:01:25.120
slipping in the polls and he needs to latch on to something to try and gain relevance.
00:01:29.140
And those chiefs are seeking a court injunction to block the democratic exercise
00:01:33.040
of gathering signatures to hold a democratic referendum on independence.
00:01:37.380
To block that provincial right would be a clear violation of the Clarity Act.
00:01:41.020
We should be confident that a judge will realize that and toss out the application from the chiefs,
00:01:45.320
but we've seen enough terrible rulings from judges already to know we can't rely on common sense
00:01:49.140
from the bench. It's interesting how opponents to independence decry the movement being as one
00:01:53.140
supported by a tiny minority, yet they're terrified at the prospect of putting it to a
00:01:57.180
general vote. I mean, wouldn't they want to put this to bed in a referendum so we can stop talking
00:02:00.860
about it? Look, polling is all over, but it indicates we're looking at around 30% of the
00:02:04.900
province is dedicated to pursuing Alberta's independence. That's a long way from a referendum
00:02:08.420
win, but momentum is on the side of the independence movement, and a lot can change over eight months.
00:02:13.640
When one in three Albertans have given up in the Federation, Federalists would be better served to
00:02:17.800
listen to their grievances rather than try to steal the democratic means of expression from
00:02:21.180
them. To cork the bottle and ban independence referendums would be corking the bottle not
00:02:25.120
just in Alberta but in Quebec. And while the vast majority of independent supporters would
00:02:29.180
never participate in or condone extreme acts, when we're looking at millions of people supporting
00:02:33.520
this, it's not inconceivable that an unhinged soul or two might be inspired to do something
00:02:37.900
dangerous. Those who might not remember, between 1963 and 1970, the FLQ conducted nearly 200
00:02:43.960
bombings and multiple kidnappings responsible the deaths of six to nine people during those years
00:02:49.600
there was no framework or mechanism for quebec to become independent and it created dangerous
00:02:53.340
extremists much of what ended the terrorism being committed in quebec was the presentation of a
00:02:58.560
democratic outlet for their independence movement in 1968 the party quebecois was formed rene
00:03:03.940
leveque was leading and started the process of turning the independence movement there
00:03:06.720
into a political one rather than a revolutionary violent one quebecers aren't violent by nature
00:03:11.620
and they embraced being able to form independence parties
00:03:15.680
Even when losing the referendum, the FLQ didn't reappear
00:03:18.700
because people knew there was still a path to independence
00:03:21.060
and they accepted that the province wasn't ready for it.
00:03:25.000
With one in three people in Alberta currently supporting
00:03:28.920
it's no insignificant number of people who are so dejected
00:03:33.500
Banning the possibility of holding a referendum
00:03:37.380
even if it makes Federalists feel a little better about themselves.
00:03:39.740
so right from the clarity act itself whereas the government of any province of canada is entitled
00:03:44.280
to consult its population by referendum on any issue and is entitled to formulate the wording
00:03:50.020
of its referendum question that's right out of the clarity act guys are opponents of independence
00:03:54.460
prepared to repeal that act there's only going to be one way to resolve the budding independent
00:03:58.320
movements in multiple provinces across the country now hold referendums get the question settled
00:04:03.560
peacefully and democratically fight against the concept guys not the means or things could