Western Standard - CORY MORGAN SHOW： Quit pretending we need indigenous consent!

00:00:00.000 Good day and welcome to the Corey Morgan Show.

00:00:29.900 It's December. It's winter out there. It sucks. There's snow everywhere. You can't make me like it. I'm never gonna like it. I'm counting down the days to when I hide out down in Arizona. That's one of the news things that's been happening lately, actually. Oh, their publisher, Derek Fildebrand, as you can see, it's a busy news day. He's been pacing and ranting and raving back there in this newsroom behind me. This is where it's nice to hide out in the studio while this sort of stuff going on. Like I said, one of those things going on is that a lot of Canadians, the vacation numbers are up in Canada and they're down in the state.

00:00:59.900 And of course, they're saying that's all due to all the elbows up sort of stuff. Well, maybe a little bit. Most of it's due to our crappy dollar, I'm afraid. But it's not stopping me. I'm gonna hide out down there. Especially, you gotta see, I gotta take a break from that raving madman pacing back and forth behind me talking about news items.

00:01:16.400 I'm gonna have one of our news guys from that newsroom, Dave Wienick. He's gonna come on and talk about a few things going on out there. It's a busy, busy day in politics and in general. And I'll kick things off, starting with, let's talk about that memorandum of understanding, MOU.

00:01:33.300 Now, Albertans are rightly skeptical of this MOU signed between Premier Daniel Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney to build a new pipeline to the Pacific Coast.

00:01:43.360 That skepticism morphed into hostile cynicism last weekend as Smith found herself booed at her very own AGM in Edmonton at the very mention of the agreement.

00:01:52.740 Considering the message from Ottawa on the issue, though, why on earth should Albertans believe for a second that Carney genuinely wants a pipeline developed?

00:02:00.320 If Carney truly supports what the MOU proposes, he'll come right out and address the misinformation surrounding the proposed project.

00:02:08.320 He has to make it abundantly clear that neither the province of BC nor the Indigenous bands within it have veto authority over the project.

00:02:15.720 So far, he's refused to do so.

00:02:17.540 This isn't a matter of opinion. It's a matter of the Canadian Constitution.

00:02:21.180 Interprovincial infrastructure is federal domain.

00:02:23.320 B.C. has no more authority to block a pipeline from Alberta than Alberta the authority to block a railway line from B.C.

00:02:31.500 It's a consideration, isn't it?

00:02:33.800 David Eby's blustering opposition has no power behind it constitutionally.

00:02:37.700 He should be reminded of that.

00:02:39.540 More importantly, though, Indigenous bands have no veto authority over any projects.

00:02:43.740 Canada's constitution obligates the nation to consult with Indigenous bands if any projects are proposed that may impact treaty rights.

00:02:53.200 A pipeline doesn't even impact treaty rights unless it crosses treaty land.

00:02:56.940 No treaties for a lot of that, B.C., is there?

00:02:58.620 But either way, consult the Indigenous folks is still a nice gesture.

00:03:02.160 Particularly those who might live near the right-of-way. That's fine.

00:03:04.420 After consultation, though, there's no further obligations.

00:03:07.700 Whether it's with pipelines or provincial independence, there's been this pervasive myth surrounding the veto abilities of Native bands.

00:03:13.980 To be blunt, they haven't got them.

00:03:15.820 Native reserves aren't sovereign nations, no matter what they like to call themselves, and their consent's not required to develop land.

00:03:22.120 And this has been affirmed by the Supreme Court numerous times.

00:03:25.480 Political cowardice has become so entrenched with this issue,

00:03:28.580 Liberal government members have been forced to apologize for telling the truth.

00:03:31.860 No way, it doesn't happen very often. Apologies are them telling the truth.

00:03:35.320 But recently, in a rare demonstration of personal principles,

00:03:38.700 Justice Minister Sean Fraser dared to utter the truth that Indigenous people have no veto power over the projects.

00:03:44.620 Within 24 hours, Fraser issued a groveling apology for telling the truth.

00:03:50.280 Currently, Liberal MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation,

00:03:56.320 I think that's a mouthful, get this name,

00:03:57.600 Tlaib Nur-Muhammad has been saying on social media and in a CBC interview that Indigenous consent is required to get a pipeline constructed.

00:04:06.500 Constructed? Instructed.

00:04:07.900 So far, Tlaib's claims have gone unchallenged by the Prime Minister's office.

00:04:11.080 So is he a rogue MP or is he speaking for the party?

00:04:13.760 Liberal discipline's usually tight when their members go off message, yet Tlaib's carrying on without hindrance.

00:04:19.140 Premier Daniel Smith's taking a lot of heat from her party membership over signing a deal that attaches many conditions upon Alberta's industries, 0.98

00:04:25.160 and it appears unlikely the pipeline might ever be approved.

00:04:29.040 She must demand the Prime Minister clarifies whether he expects consent from Indigenous bands in the province of BC to get the job done.

00:04:35.560 No humming and hawing, no weasel words, just a yes or no answer.

00:04:38.740 If the answer is that he expects consent from Indigenous bands in the province,

00:04:41.840 Smith might as well use the MOU for toilet paper, since that's all the value it has.

00:04:46.020 There'll never be consensus, and if the Prime Minister abdicates his role as the central authority on these issues,

00:04:50.920 we're all just wasting each other's time.

00:04:52.580 Respectful and meaningful consultation is important.

00:04:55.600 Indigenous citizens must have their concerns heard and addressed when reasonably possible.

00:05:00.580 Having their participation in projects is great too, and many will.

00:05:04.320 Not all of them are going to approve, though, and rest assured,

00:05:06.540 environmental activists will elevate them to some fabricated hereditary roles and use them as props for the opposition.

00:05:12.600 The federal government must be firm in stating that the project will continue despite some opponents,

00:05:18.300 but so far it's been as firm as a piece of overcooked spaghetti on the issue.

00:05:21.980 Look, no private investor is going to touch the project without assurances of it being completed.

00:05:26.820 No companies are going to expand production in Alberta without expanded ability to get their products to market.

00:05:32.400 Then, it's going to be truly time for Albertans to ask what the point is in remaining in Confederation.

00:05:37.400 Really, what's the point? Let's put it to a referendum.

00:05:39.800 I mean, the province can't become any more landlocked than it already is, can it?

00:05:43.380 All right, that's what's going to be going on.

00:05:44.980 Let's check in with the news out here.

00:05:45.880 We've got lots to talk about this week.

00:05:47.720 How's it going, Nick?

00:05:48.200 Good, thanks for giving me a place.

00:05:49.280 I think he may have gone back in his office now soon.

00:05:53.840 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:05:54.420 I see the feet on the desk from here.

00:05:55.720 Oh, excellent, excellent.

00:05:57.180 Hey, Edmonton was a good time.

00:05:58.660 It was.

00:05:59.480 The stories of you as the Western Standard Hospitality Suite doorman will become legendary in its time.

00:06:05.840 My scowling face.

00:06:07.200 I took my old bar owner skills and applied them to the Western Standard Hospitality.

00:06:11.720 See your bracelet, you said.

00:06:13.420 F you, says the guy. 0.99

00:06:14.380 What a little F you, and the fight was on. 0.91

00:06:16.460 I didn't hit him. 0.87

00:06:17.640 No, you didn't hit him.

00:06:18.480 You chased after him.

00:06:19.360 I did.

00:06:20.080 I kicked a couple people out.

00:06:21.560 Yeah, and it was a long day, a long night, and then we had to drive all the way back,

00:06:25.800 and you finally got to sit in your recliner to watch your Steelers lose.

00:06:29.080 Oh, gosh.

00:06:29.900 Oh, man. 0.99

00:06:30.680 Yeah, I didn't need to rush back to watch that garbage. 0.98

00:06:35.240 Yeah, yeah. 0.94

00:06:37.000 And what about the Steelers?

00:06:38.080 Oh, they won.

00:06:39.320 They thrashed Minnesota Vikings, making them look like a high school team.

00:06:43.180 Yes, well, let your sea chickens have a year, and then. 1.00

00:06:46.620 There you go.

00:06:47.720 Hey, I hear a funny story that apparently squirrels have eaten all your security cameras.

00:06:53.280 Just one of them.

00:06:54.540 That's the suspect behind it.

00:06:56.440 Yes, one of the, as I was mentioning, yes, before, Jane keeps, our house is like Fort Knox.

00:07:01.040 We've got cameras all over the place, in the woods, outside of the house.

00:07:04.380 Nobody sneaks up in that place, and unfortunately, something had chewed through the cable on one

00:07:09.020 of them back in the woods, and I had to replace it.

00:07:10.660 Not a bear or a wolf or something scary?

00:07:12.940 No, I would have seen cracks or something, I think, because we never saw anything on the

00:07:15.980 camera either, so it's fair to come from behind, but we did have a cougar go by a few

00:07:19.260 days, a couple weeks ago, I guess not.

00:07:20.520 Oh, dastardly squirrels.

00:07:21.680 Yeah, yeah.

00:07:22.840 Anyways, yeah, holy cow, where do we want to start in the news?

00:07:25.600 Well, why don't we start in BC?

00:07:28.040 Major developments in the John Rustad leadership, it's not a scandal, it's a leadership debate.

00:07:36.540 Letter out today, 20 out of 39, so more than half of his caucus have said that he's got

00:07:43.460 to go.

00:07:44.340 So surely that's a tipping point.

00:07:46.020 When half your caucus says no, more than half your caucus says no, you got to go, right?

00:07:50.680 Oh, he's toast.

00:07:51.260 I mean, you're really impotent in the legislature.

00:07:55.260 It's, you know, it happens so much to these leaders, they become deaf, I guess, because 0.76

00:07:59.600 you know, we've seen the signs, we've been seeing the troubles, we've been seeing the

00:08:03.220 stuff rising within his party in BC for a while now, and it takes really until the hammer

00:08:07.060 hits them in the head before they realize, you know, you're beyond the point of no return.

00:08:09.600 Yeah, no, he's a dead man walking. 0.99

00:08:12.760 Disturbing story from the alert police force today, they've charged a 17-year-old Calgary

00:08:19.240 high school student with making AI child porn images of his classmates.

00:08:24.820 Yeah, it's like a parent's worst nightmare.

00:08:29.180 So he's facing a long list of charges.

00:08:33.280 A Brooks RCMP officer has been suspended with pay after being charged with assault and assault

00:08:39.240 with choking after an off-duty incident recently.

00:08:45.720 The premier and her medicine hat area writing has been officially now the subject of recall.

00:08:53.340 The petitioners have got the required amount of, well, they're now going to start collecting

00:08:58.760 signatures to see if they can have an official revote call on Daniel Smith.

00:09:05.300 The long talked about, and I'm sure you'll be discussing this with Dave later on, the Calgary

00:09:10.660 to Banff hydrogen rail line now has been officially sort of the plan for it.

00:09:15.520 It has been given to the major projects office.

00:09:18.380 So we'll see where that's going.

00:09:20.960 Two and a half billion dollars for that thing.

00:09:26.000 Canadian Border Services says they have a total of 726 foreign criminals now running loose

00:09:34.380 in the country that they've lost track of.

00:09:38.640 Considering their incompetence, that's not how bad.

00:09:40.840 I think there's 30-some thousand in general.

00:09:42.700 3,000 in general that they've lost track of.

00:09:45.960 But of those 33,726 are bad people, criminals.

00:09:50.840 So known bad criminals among us.

00:09:53.420 But they don't take it seriously.

00:09:54.720 They're not worried about that.

00:09:55.720 No.

00:09:56.320 Well, apparently they're alleging they're deporting 400 every month.

00:09:59.340 But then they're getting 500 new files to deal with every month.

00:10:03.120 So either way, they're not doing their job.

00:10:06.100 There's a big sort of scandal in Ottawa.

00:10:08.400 The Governor General and her $4 million ice pavilion that she's built.

00:10:15.380 She apparently went to corporations and said, hey, why don't you donate some money and I'll 0.98

00:10:19.440 give you a tax credit.

00:10:21.020 So that's kind of a bit sketchy.

00:10:24.060 No, I'm a tiny bit mixed on that one when I read it.

00:10:26.600 Because normally the Governor General would just say, give me money.

00:10:28.800 They go straight to the source and spend pure tax dollars on it.

00:10:33.340 At least she went out and kind of got some sponsorship for it. 1.00

00:10:35.880 I mean, she still wants her, you know, royal imagery and things.

00:10:40.960 I mean, it's a rink that we probably don't need whatsoever.

00:10:43.420 But by the way they tend to piss away our money, that's one of the lesser ways.

00:10:47.040 Don't they have like an entire river to skate on in Ottawa?

00:10:50.100 Global warming.

00:10:50.940 It's not frozen about everything.

00:10:53.340 I know you were really hit, you were really impacted earlier this year with the, maybe

00:10:58.380 it was last year, the Liberals' luxury tax on yachts and supercars.

00:11:02.860 Yes.

00:11:03.300 I know that.

00:11:03.940 Great Lamborghini.

00:11:05.740 So Department of Finance officials admitted that they didn't even do a cost-benefit analysis

00:11:11.220 of it before Christian Freeland announced it.

00:11:13.740 They don't work though.

00:11:14.500 Yeah, we'll throw 10% on this.

00:11:16.060 You know, it kind of hurt the boat selling industry in Canada quite a bit.

00:11:20.780 And now the Liberals are repealing it, but there you go.

00:11:24.760 And the JCCF, our good friends, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, they're launching

00:11:29.360 a Canada-wide campaign to convince provincial governments to bring in legislation similar

00:11:36.960 to what Alberta did last week where they're talking about regulatory bodies.

00:11:40.700 Then they've now sort of overstepped their authority and going into free speech of their

00:11:45.520 members and online posts and all that sort of stuff.

00:11:49.660 But JCCF just wants them to deal with their, you know, their industry and their regulations

00:11:55.000 and stuff like that.

00:11:56.120 So Alberta was way ahead on that one.

00:11:59.160 So lots of other stuff I forgot already are still to come.

00:12:04.720 Plenty to cover.

00:12:05.780 I see you haven't even had time to shave in this last week.

00:12:07.740 You know what?

00:12:08.300 It has been so busy.

00:12:09.680 I normally say shave on Sunday.

00:12:11.880 I have a routine.

00:12:12.700 Sunday morning I shave.

00:12:14.000 But unfortunately I was asleep in your car.

00:12:16.160 Oh yes, that's right.

00:12:17.080 You were kind of out for the count.

00:12:18.320 Yeah.

00:12:18.660 I don't think I was very good company for most of that drive.

00:12:22.220 Oh, well, you know, all I do is rant about politics anyways.

00:12:25.280 You need a break from that.

00:12:26.180 No, I know what it is.

00:12:26.880 I remember you getting your McMuffin and then I fell asleep and then I woke up and there

00:12:31.480 was the Calgary downtown skyline.

00:12:33.140 Oh, like I said, I wish I'd let you sleep in.

00:12:35.080 Then I would have missed that god-awful Steelers game.

00:12:36.980 There you go.

00:12:37.780 Right.

00:12:38.340 Who are you playing this week?

00:12:39.120 Oh, the Ravens.

00:12:39.880 Ravens.

00:12:40.200 You know, as I said, I don't hold high hopes of the Steelers winning that the way they're

00:12:44.020 looking, but you can always count on the beating the 11th hell out of each other when the Steelers

00:12:47.320 and the Ravens get together.

00:12:48.300 So maybe just, if only for that sake.

00:12:50.020 Yeah, and that's good football.

00:12:51.380 Did you see the Giants field goal kicker on Monday night trying to do the field goal?

00:12:55.900 Oh, is that the one where he stubbed his toe?

00:12:56.960 He sort of stubbed his toe about a foot behind the ball.

00:13:00.600 Yeah, sometimes you can feel what you see on the...

00:13:04.140 Yeah.

00:13:04.480 You know, you talk about suffering as a Steelers fan, but holy cow, it's got to be hard to be a New 0.99

00:13:09.440 York City NFL fan with those go-to-one, they're just losers. 0.97

00:13:14.140 Well, plus they got that mayor. 0.76

00:13:15.500 There's just not much going on.

00:13:16.380 No, no, I'd be out of the Big Apple.

00:13:18.720 Yeah.

00:13:19.700 All right.

00:13:20.360 Well, let's get back to the newsroom.

00:13:21.740 He seems to be tied up so you can get something done.

00:13:23.940 Feet still up or not, though?

00:13:25.040 No, they're down.

00:13:26.540 Okay.

00:13:27.120 Well, wish you the best.

00:13:28.280 Could mean anything.

00:13:29.120 All right.

00:13:29.520 So, yes, that is our news editor, Dave Naylor.

00:13:32.400 And I see, yes, using that comment scroll, Jacqueline, and this is my perspective saying hello to

00:13:37.260 both of us.

00:13:37.940 Use those comments.

00:13:38.760 This is live.

00:13:40.380 And that's where I nag you. 0.98

00:13:42.620 You've got to pay the bills.

00:13:43.600 Guys, it doesn't cost you any income on and watch this, but we would like you to subscribe

00:13:47.780 to get to the main site of the Western Standard.News.

00:13:49.920 That's how we fund that newsroom and that crazy publisher running back and forth back 0.99

00:13:55.160 in there.

00:13:55.720 It's $10 a month, $100 for a year.

00:13:58.200 You know what?

00:13:58.460 It's Christmas season.

00:13:59.240 You can get a subscription for somebody else.

00:14:01.160 And I'm not just kidding around.

00:14:01.920 Why not?

00:14:02.480 Right?

00:14:03.800 People might really appreciate it.

00:14:05.400 Get hooked on independent media.

00:14:07.580 There's worse things to become addicted to out there, aren't there?

00:14:10.660 So check it out.

00:14:11.420 Westernstandard.News slash subscription.

00:14:13.620 Take one out.

00:14:15.520 So, yeah, where to start with a lot of that?

00:14:18.060 You know, Rustad, and he's in deep, deep trouble.

00:14:24.560 But these political leaders, like I said, so many of them don't leave until the foot

00:14:28.380 is really firmly planted.

00:14:29.620 I guess some of it's just that instinct among them, though.

00:14:33.040 They're type A's. 0.60

00:14:33.660 They're ambitious people.

00:14:34.660 They had to, you know, scramble and claw their way to where they were.

00:14:39.240 They just don't want to stop once they get there.

00:14:41.760 We saw that with Jason Kenney.

00:14:44.660 He had to be forced out by his own members.

00:14:46.520 Or Ralph Klein in the end, even.

00:14:48.740 I mean, arguably the most popular premier in Alberta history, certainly historically.

00:14:55.160 But towards the end, he didn't leave until his own members gave him a really lackluster,

00:15:00.820 I think it was 60% or so, support at the leadership.

00:15:04.580 And, you know, Rustad, he's had people leaving, crossing the floor on him, starting a new party.

00:15:12.200 When you've got a tipping point of a majority of your members saying, you know, your MLAs,

00:15:17.880 your elected members saying, we can't support you anymore.

00:15:21.800 You have just been neutered. 1.00

00:15:23.300 You're ineffective. 1.00

00:15:24.280 He must know this.

00:15:25.420 And I think what a lot of people are anticipating, though, is somehow the B.C. conservative movement has to become unified again.

00:15:34.220 I mean, the hard thing was there was the blow-up from Falcon and the B.C. liberals that changed their name to B.C. United or some bloody thing

00:15:42.380 and then just fell completely apart.

00:15:44.820 And that's what gave Rustad the start, where he came, you know, from bringing that party from next to nothing

00:15:49.960 to within a hair's breadth of winning a majority in the general election.

00:15:54.700 It's quite an accomplishment, but leadership is a tough thing.

00:15:58.040 And then trying to hold it together for the four years until the next election looks like that's not going to happen.

00:16:01.920 So they're going to have some decisions, obviously.

00:16:04.480 He's going to step down at some point.

00:16:06.440 They're going to have a leadership race.

00:16:07.980 Who knows who's going to win it?

00:16:09.760 I mean, watch for Jared Yeager, you know, our Western Standard guy in B.C.

00:16:13.120 He's on that all the time excellently at westernstandard.news because a lot's going to be breaking.

00:16:18.960 It depends on what they campaign on because they've really got a left-right battle going on in that party, just like we do everywhere.

00:16:25.660 They've got one B.C., you know, with Dallas Brody.

00:16:28.420 She was on this show a little while ago, pushing quite hard on the indigenous issues in some other areas.

00:16:34.140 And meanwhile, you've got parts of the Conservative Party.

00:16:38.740 I guess you'd call them red Tories or whatnot who aren't comfortable with that.

00:16:41.140 Can a new leader unify that bunch?

00:16:43.340 Can they pull it together?

00:16:44.600 Or has somebody as terrible and incompetent as David Eby going to manage to get four more years just because the Conservatives can't get it together?

00:16:54.220 We'll be watching and seeing.

00:16:55.280 One big step is coming up.

00:16:56.220 All right, let's check in with Dave Winnick, or David Numero Dos, as I like to say.

00:17:02.700 Our second Dave of the day.

00:17:05.180 No jacket?

00:17:06.460 Hey, this got sprung on me.

00:17:07.500 Otherwise, I'd wear a suit for you.

00:17:08.640 Oh, geez.

00:17:09.080 Well, as we've explained, this contract thing.

00:17:12.200 I don't have to wear a tie, but I've got to wear a jacket.

00:17:16.080 Welcome to the Cory Morgan Show.

00:17:17.420 Well, how's that your having me?

00:17:18.540 I have.

00:17:19.320 It's been quite a while, actually.

00:17:20.260 I think the last time I was on here was when Dave was on vacation.

00:17:22.280 Yeah, well, we've got you as an exclusive now.

00:17:25.420 You've been covering some pretty good stuff out there.

00:17:27.800 Well, actually, yeah.

00:17:28.720 No, the major one today is that the Calgary Airport to Banff Rail, they finally submitted

00:17:33.520 their proposal to the Federal Major Projects Office just yesterday, and they've been doing

00:17:38.480 that for, I think, several months now.

00:17:39.860 They've been kind of putting that together.

00:17:41.120 But apparently now, they've been basically waiting for Daniel Smith to sign that Memorandum

00:17:45.940 of Understanding for Energy with Mark Carney.

00:17:48.620 And basically, now they said now's the right time to get that added, and they're optimistic

00:17:51.900 that it'll finally get added to the major projects list.

00:17:54.460 There's only 11 major projects on that list so far, but I think this is the very first

00:17:57.940 one that they've had that's Alberta century, shall we say.

00:18:01.640 So who's going to pay for this?

00:18:03.460 Well, Adam and Jan Wateros of, I believe it's called Lyricon Capital, are financing most

00:18:10.400 of it.

00:18:10.600 They've been the ones backing this for years.

00:18:12.040 I think it's, if I remember correctly, I think it's $2.6 billion project in dollars in

00:18:16.160 total, and they are going to be funding it and other private investors for about $1.5

00:18:20.200 billion is what the actual original figures are going to be.

00:18:23.520 So with that, does that mean, because there's already a rail line between Calgary and Banff.

00:18:27.720 I grew up in Banff as a kid.

00:18:29.060 Actually, it's one of those memories I don't think I've shared on the show, but if anybody

00:18:31.340 rode that passenger train that used to go to Banff, it would run right through town just

00:18:34.740 before noon every day, and us kids who were off school for lunch, would all line up in the

00:18:39.780 woods because we'd play in there during lunchtime and then moon the train as it was going by. 0.97

00:18:43.340 So if they remember any little white asses they saw whilst they were taking the train, 1.00

00:18:48.600 but there was a passenger line to Banff. 0.98

00:18:50.060 It's gone now.

00:18:51.720 So this means, at that price, they must be building an entire new line.

00:18:55.900 They are actually, apparently.

00:18:56.860 Well, I think the line, the final stop is at that train station that's the repurposed

00:19:00.940 old train station that's in Banff, but they're going to have ones, I think there's Calgary

00:19:04.680 Airport, downtown, Stoney Trail at the Trans-Canada is going to be a stop.

00:19:08.080 Then they're going to have ones, Cochrane, Morley, Canmore, and then Banff.

00:19:11.520 And I think it was in July or June, if I remember correctly, all of the mayors from each of those

00:19:16.400 towns sent a letter to the prime minister saying that they totally endorsed the project.

00:19:20.620 We're hoping that he would get it on the major projects list.

00:19:22.780 So it looks like that could be very well a possibility in the near future.

00:19:25.800 And apparently the whole line is going to be about roughly, they're estimating 150 kilometers.

00:19:30.140 Yeah.

00:19:30.520 So, I mean, it sounds interesting.

00:19:31.760 I still travel to visit my father.

00:19:33.820 He's in a retirement home out in the Bow Valley area out there.

00:19:36.000 And I drive that highway regularly and it's jammed.

00:19:38.740 I mean, it's insane, especially in summertime, if it's a weekend, but will this train really

00:19:43.000 reduce that traffic?

00:19:44.000 Well, that's what's the, well, that's their main sort of goal behind it.

00:19:46.680 Because I mean, apparently I think if I remember correctly, the whole Alberta government, I

00:19:50.220 think by 20, I think it's 2035, want to totally increase tourism to Alberta.

00:19:55.060 So this is kind of playing into that because as you know, I mean, the way the park is now,

00:19:58.760 they're trying to basically discourage people from coming with the old private vehicles,

00:20:02.460 you know, single like family cars and whatnot.

00:20:04.280 So they're hoping that this will actually play into that and take away from the traffic.

00:20:08.180 And obviously, you know, now with Baffin, that the parking is just ridiculous. 0.54

00:20:11.220 Now they took all the parking off Main Street.

00:20:12.860 So they're hoping that this will alleviate some of that pressure going forward in the

00:20:16.040 national park.

00:20:17.000 Yeah, but I guess as long as it's a private interest, there's just where my ears perk

00:20:21.600 up when the tax dollars start going and then you see boondoggle.

00:20:24.960 But I'll maintain some optimism, I guess.

00:20:28.860 Because Premier Smith's always been kind of a trained person, you know, he heard her

00:20:32.780 husband own a restaurant and a train car in High River for years.

00:20:36.240 Trained people are a special breed and I just wouldn't want us diving in. 1.00

00:20:40.100 I prefer this over that Baffin to Calgary or Edmonton to Calgary. 1.00

00:20:44.240 I think this will definitely have definitely benefits.

00:20:48.080 And she herself, Premier Smith, did say that she wasn't going to prioritize this until that

00:20:52.160 MOU was signed.

00:20:52.980 But now that the MOU is signed, obviously they've sent in the project for the approval.

00:20:57.840 And see what happens.

00:20:59.020 So let's see, it's perfect timing.

00:20:59.900 It's more like a bite-size new rail expansion to try before trying something like Calgary

00:21:04.980 and Edmonton.

00:21:05.520 So if it goes well, we could revisit in a few years.

00:21:07.800 Yeah, exactly.

00:21:08.220 And they have a fairly set price for overall for the whole thing.

00:21:11.220 So I guess we'll see how it goes going forward.

00:21:12.840 Right on.

00:21:13.500 Okay.

00:21:13.860 And you've also got some stuff on the pipeline and, well, I put pipeline quotes.

00:21:19.720 I mean, I don't know if we're going to live long enough to see this thing, but

00:21:24.740 is it ever going to happen?

00:21:25.520 Well, that's the whole thing.

00:21:27.160 If you look at the MOU, if you read between the lines, it seems the more and more people

00:21:30.380 have gone into this, the more it just seems like there's little roadblocks that have been

00:21:33.660 set up increasingly to make sure that this doesn't get done.

00:21:36.360 It sounds good on paper, but as I've said before, there's no private sector proponent

00:21:40.360 that we know of yet.

00:21:41.480 So until that actually happens, you actually get someone wanting to foot the bill and just

00:21:44.880 give them a blank check.

00:21:45.740 You don't see how that's going to happen.

00:21:47.200 Plus there's all the implications of co-indigenous ownership.

00:21:50.720 We don't exactly know which indigenous groups that's going to be at either.

00:21:54.340 They haven't talked about that.

00:21:55.420 I saw the other day that there was, I think it was the Métis tribes of Alberta were talking

00:21:59.300 about that.

00:22:00.220 And the coastal first nations who you were thinking would be the ones that would be

00:22:03.220 involved, want nothing to do with this so far, but who knows what'll happen there.

00:22:06.240 Well, they're busy.

00:22:06.740 They got a lot of garbage to clean up.

00:22:07.980 Just a bit.

00:22:08.360 I see it. 1.00

00:22:10.400 Clean up your own damn mess before worrying about the pipes. 0.99

00:22:12.480 Once I see a spotless couch in area, then you can perhaps start being a critic because 0.99

00:22:16.500 there hasn't been a pipe leaking.

00:22:18.460 Trans Mountain's been going since the late 40s through there and pipes are safe.

00:22:23.460 Garbage dumps, on the other hand, are a real problem.

00:22:25.420 Oh, you would think so.

00:22:26.080 Yeah.

00:22:26.580 So there's other clauses, things that you mentioned in your story, like buy Canadian.

00:22:30.400 I mean, some of the materials and everything, it's going to steal.

00:22:33.220 The whole thing's Canadian steel.

00:22:34.460 I mean, you just look what happened here just recently with Algoma just laying off a thousand

00:22:38.060 employees and whatnot, and the whole steel industry at the moment, if I remember right.

00:22:42.300 I think it was Algoma got 500 million in government cash here recently, so now they're laying off

00:22:46.280 a thousand people.

00:22:47.680 And obviously, I mean, Canada historically is kind of a, how would I put it?

00:22:51.320 Basically, we've exported, I think, over half of our output.

00:22:54.380 Usually about 90% of that goes to the Americans.

00:22:57.440 But at this time as well, I think that if I remember, if I'm reading this correctly, I

00:23:01.480 think specialized pipeline steel capacity needs about $6 million to $1 billion in new investment

00:23:06.040 at the exact time that a bunch of Canadian mills like Algoma were shutting down and basically

00:23:10.680 like getting rid of workers.

00:23:11.640 So I don't really know how the whole steel thing by Canadian steel is going to really work

00:23:15.680 because the costs are just going to go up when everything's tightened, supplies tightening.

00:23:18.760 So that's another thing that you kind of have to read in between the lines on this MOU because

00:23:22.500 they do say that they kind of want to promote Canadian steel, but it doesn't specify that

00:23:26.320 they have to.

00:23:27.320 Well, it might be a selling point a bit.

00:23:28.800 I mean, there's opposition across the country and battles going on.

00:23:31.500 And the block leader is blustering, you know, somehow he expects his welfare checks to keep

00:23:36.320 coming, even if we can't, you know, pump oil for him.

00:23:39.240 But I mean, with a hurting steel industry in central Canada, you'd think that, you know,

00:23:45.380 domestic, because it is the trade war going on.

00:23:48.020 That is certainly hitting them hard.

00:23:49.540 50% tariffs don't exactly help.

00:23:51.040 But they got to give us a good price for crying out loud.

00:23:53.820 Well, you would think so.

00:23:54.620 And I mean, as well, I mean, where's a lot of the steel come from?

00:23:56.680 Metallurgical coal.

00:23:57.300 And we obviously know what the whole thing is with coal in Canada.

00:24:00.020 So recently, the Coal Association of Canada actually sent a statement to the government

00:24:04.700 because they want metallurgical coal designated as a critical mineral in Canada, just like

00:24:09.260 it is in the United States.

00:24:10.420 So we'll have to see how much red tape needs to be waded through before that actually comes

00:24:14.000 about.

00:24:15.340 Yeah.

00:24:17.080 Lots of complexity going on with it.

00:24:20.040 I mean, the metallurgical coal has been a big issue in, you know, the Southern Alberta

00:24:23.540 and whether or not we're going to start mining or not.

00:24:25.380 Yeah, there's still all that going on.

00:24:27.640 There might be a referendum on that coming up soon.

00:24:30.540 There's a possibility, yeah.

00:24:31.480 We'll see.

00:24:32.040 I see a question from a listener there, Jacqueline, saying, why does a rail line strictly in Alberta

00:24:36.840 have to go through the major projects office?

00:24:39.020 But because it would go into a national park, I suspect that.

00:24:43.140 So, yeah, it is going into another province, obviously.

00:24:45.100 Well, the main route that they want to do is out to Prince Rupert and that.

00:24:48.120 So I think, yeah, I think that's the main reason why it would have to go through an actual

00:24:51.140 federal major project office.

00:24:51.940 That's the pipe, actually.

00:24:52.720 Sorry, I'm switching.

00:24:54.280 Oh, you're talking to the rail line.

00:24:55.540 I was going to throw you for a loop somewhere anyway.

00:24:57.920 So the rail line, you know, but it's going through the major projects office.

00:25:01.140 And I'm guessing, though, again, perhaps the fact that it goes into it.

00:25:04.880 Oh, it's the building.

00:25:05.500 Yeah, it's the building as well under the criteria, I should say, under the Building

00:25:09.080 Canada Act, as well as why it has to go through that.

00:25:11.280 So it has to have federal approval because, as you said, it goes through the national park.

00:25:14.220 Yeah.

00:25:14.580 Okay.

00:25:15.020 So that's part of it.

00:25:15.780 You're talking about the pipeline.

00:25:17.180 Have pipelines on the mine.

00:25:18.360 Yeah.

00:25:18.580 Well, they're both big projects potentially going.

00:25:20.940 One might have a better chance than the other.

00:25:22.460 That will use a lot of steel as well.

00:25:23.840 I mean, those are moving along.

00:25:27.500 So what else have you got in the cooker right now?

00:25:29.560 What are you working on?

00:25:30.780 Oh, well, there is something that'll be coming out shortly.

00:25:33.140 I'll just say that it has to deal with the recall Nicolaides campaign, shall we say, that'll

00:25:37.600 be coming out here shortly because there's, as you know, there's a whole bunch.

00:25:40.200 I think now it's up to 14 recall campaigns or whatnot for targeting UCP MLAs across the

00:25:46.400 province, obviously.

00:25:46.980 And now there's one just this morning that was targeting Premier Daniel Smith and her writing

00:25:50.860 as well.

00:25:51.400 Yeah.

00:25:51.660 Well, in my view, at least with that one, it indicates just how they're using this just

00:25:55.560 to mess with the system.

00:25:56.940 I mean, anybody with common sense knows you've got to get, what, 60% of those who voted in

00:26:01.700 the last election to sign saying they want her out.

00:26:05.400 Yeah.

00:26:05.660 And then you hold another vote.

00:26:07.820 And if it's a yes, then you have a by-election.

00:26:09.900 Then you have a by-election.

00:26:10.600 This is Brooke's medicine hat.

00:26:12.740 I mean, you know, you could run a tree stump with the UCP banner hanging off of it and it's

00:26:18.700 going to win.

00:26:19.660 And they know that.

00:26:21.020 Yeah.

00:26:21.260 They're just spinning their wheels.

00:26:22.020 I mean, it's people got to realize too, to get a, you know, the reporting on these is if

00:26:26.240 they're done deals for these recalls.

00:26:27.720 I mean, all a person has to do is fill out a form and put in a deposit and the recalls

00:26:32.000 starts.

00:26:33.000 Oh, absolutely.

00:26:33.620 That was the thing.

00:26:34.040 And I mean, a bunch of them, if you look at some of the recall, the actual petitions,

00:26:36.880 a bunch of them, it's clearly just politically motivated and has nothing to do with the

00:26:40.200 actual MLA in that writing and what they've been doing for the job.

00:26:44.840 Because some of them have been doing a fairly good job for the most part from a bunch of the

00:26:47.360 people I've talked to in certain writings.

00:26:48.740 And as well, it seems as well that some of these, the first recall campaigns seem to

00:26:52.140 be targeting writings where the last race in the last election was fairly close.

00:26:56.560 So they might have something there as well.

00:26:58.040 Yeah.

00:26:58.180 Well, the Nickel 80s one, which was something I've really seen the first time, was fairly

00:27:01.700 close.

00:27:02.260 And he was, he is the education minister.

00:27:05.180 So, I mean, that is the hot button.

00:27:06.400 Well, that was fair.

00:27:07.040 So notwithstanding clause was the big thing, obviously sending the teachers back after the

00:27:10.180 strike and whatnot.

00:27:11.080 A lot of people were mad about that.

00:27:12.620 There were some people that you could say, maybe anti-oil and gas activists, shall we

00:27:18.220 say, are taking advantage of this.

00:27:19.520 That could be one little thing that we might be talking about later.

00:27:22.000 Okay.

00:27:22.480 Well, we'll be watching for that.

00:27:24.180 I mean, that's part of this whole thing.

00:27:26.720 I mean, the intent of this legislation, it was to get, you know, if you've got an MLA

00:27:30.980 who's had some mental health issues, it's how we have before, things like that, or committed

00:27:35.720 a crime, but hasn't been convicted or something really beyond the pale.

00:27:38.960 Or if it turns out, it's like a senator, you know, way back in the day, we had, what was

00:27:43.480 his name?

00:27:43.960 Andy Thompson, I think it was.

00:27:45.460 I can't remember.

00:27:46.140 He was hiding in Mexico for his whole time in the Senate.

00:27:49.060 Oh, there was a video.

00:27:50.220 He'd even come to Canada, you know, just to show up and even vote.

00:27:55.680 And yeah, no way to get rid of him as a senator. 0.83

00:27:57.280 But those were the things that recall was supposed to be for, you know, when you just can't handle

00:28:00.620 them anymore.

00:28:01.400 I don't see anybody in the legislature right now that we couldn't survive two years without

00:28:05.320 the chance to vote again.

00:28:06.400 Yeah, no, exactly.

00:28:07.440 I agree a hundred percent.

00:28:08.460 But no, I just think it's like you said, it's like it's the intentions are well and

00:28:12.160 good, but I think a lot of people will just take advantage of that and use it for their

00:28:14.800 own personal gain.

00:28:16.040 Yeah, which sucks because I mean, what might happen then is the government is going to

00:28:18.820 repeal or dramatically tweak it back to where it was, where it makes it fully impossible

00:28:22.080 to have, you know, recall.

00:28:23.500 And like that old saying goes, you know, this is why we can't have nice things.

00:28:27.080 That's exactly it.

00:28:28.100 Well, I don't know.

00:28:29.640 I'm mixed on it.

00:28:30.360 I hope they don't succeed in getting rid of the legislation.

00:28:32.920 I think they should let it go and let a bunch of them fail.

00:28:34.700 I mean, it's a lot of resources and effort.

00:28:36.200 But people don't understand how hard it is to petition.

00:28:39.240 Oh, yeah.

00:28:39.540 I mean, real petitions.

00:28:40.580 Paper out there.

00:28:41.580 Witnessed with a deadline.

00:28:42.880 Yeah.

00:28:43.100 Knocking on doors.

00:28:43.760 And on recall, technically, everybody working on that campaign has to live in the constituents.

00:28:48.660 They do.

00:28:49.260 That's been another thing that there's been people talking about people being bussed down

00:28:52.400 from Edmonton and Red Deer to certain ridings in Calgary as well.

00:28:55.280 Yeah, which would certainly give the government grounds to say, well, sorry, they fouled the

00:28:59.580 process and this one's no longer fouled and figure out what elections Alberta is going 0.99

00:29:03.020 to do about it.

00:29:03.600 But I guess we'll wait and see.

00:29:04.500 Yeah, well, I haven't been liking what they've been doing lately.

00:29:06.440 I was just curious.

00:29:07.240 How many, do you think any of these will actually succeed?

00:29:09.240 Any of these recall petitions?

00:29:10.880 If they allow the outside union, and let's not beat around the bush, they're union people.

00:29:15.760 If they allow it to happen for them to get on the ground and pound the pavement that hard,

00:29:20.740 maybe.

00:29:21.600 You know, a couple of them or a few could happen.

00:29:24.740 If it really is as the intent is supposed to be, the people who live in that constituency

00:29:28.460 doing it themselves, volunteering themselves, getting out and getting those signatures,

00:29:32.800 I think it's really unlikely because I don't think any of those MLA's have done anything

00:29:35.740 bad.

00:29:36.000 Yeah.

00:29:36.540 Maybe one in more urban area, but none of the ones in rural areas like Grand Prairie or something.

00:29:40.340 I find it hard to believe that that would actually go through.

00:29:42.840 And it depends on how informed the person is.

00:29:44.460 Like with this kind of campaign, you know, part of it with Fabio or also known as McCasick

00:29:49.440 and his, you know, let's have a status quo referendum.

00:29:54.000 But what they did was set up an urban centers.

00:29:56.080 They could pack people in from all directions to work on it and everything else.

00:30:01.300 And they had nice weather.

00:30:02.920 That's a big thing.

00:30:03.860 Because they set up a lot of farmers markets and sporting events and anywhere you can get

00:30:07.900 a large gathering of people.

00:30:09.000 So with a recall one, you can't do that.

00:30:12.140 You say, even if you could set up at a farmer's market, well, you don't know who's from in

00:30:15.000 your constituency or not.

00:30:16.120 You got to be really careful with that.

00:30:17.620 Exactly.

00:30:19.160 Otherwise, you don't have those.

00:30:20.220 You've got to go door to door.

00:30:21.740 Yeah.

00:30:21.940 And that's a lot of work.

00:30:23.160 Oh, definitely.

00:30:23.700 Yeah.

00:30:23.880 Yeah.

00:30:24.100 Got to have a lot of volunteers.

00:30:25.300 So I do.

00:30:25.780 I'm not the one sweating it in the government offices, you know, with one or two of these

00:30:29.300 might happen and embarrass them or whatnot.

00:30:31.580 But I don't think you should just let it go and let it fail.

00:30:34.060 But watch like a hawk.

00:30:35.540 As soon as you see that bus full of Union maggots coming in, well, sorry, done, not happening. 1.00

00:30:40.100 I 100% agree with you. 0.54

00:30:41.260 Here's the process.

00:30:42.040 Well, geez, well, that's no fun.

00:30:43.240 Better when people disagree.

00:30:45.860 We'll have opportunity enough.

00:30:47.360 You know, you've shaken off your hangover from the AGM.

00:30:50.200 That was your...

00:30:50.800 Oh, yeah, yeah.

00:30:51.540 I think me and the rest of the staff had a pretty good party there.

00:30:54.400 Yeah, it was fun the second night with sipping my Diet Coke, watching you guys, your conversation

00:31:00.020 getting deeper and deeper as you went along.

00:31:03.100 Yeah, no, I think it was a fairly successful AGM for the most part.

00:31:05.660 A bit of controversy, obviously, with the whole Alberta independence thing and Jeff Rath

00:31:09.160 causing a bit of a stir with the Alberta Prosperity Project guys and whatnot.

00:31:12.540 But on the whole, I think it went fairly well.

00:31:14.520 And I think by the end of it, after the Premier did her keynote address, I think she had a lot

00:31:19.280 of people on her side still, I think.

00:31:20.600 So I think maybe a bit of the independence movement's numbers might be a little out of

00:31:26.200 whack, I think, in terms of people that are 100% for it.

00:31:28.300 But I don't know.

00:31:29.180 There's so many conflicting reports on that.

00:31:30.860 I don't know what you think.

00:31:31.680 Yeah, well, you can't measure public opinion by the views of the people who show up for

00:31:35.940 an AGM.

00:31:36.900 I mean, it was great to see 4,400 people pay a pretty good fee and have to go to Edmonton

00:31:42.420 in less than perfect weather.

00:31:44.580 Those are very dedicated politicos.

00:31:46.700 These are people dialed in and holding strong views on something or another, but your average

00:31:52.920 person on the ground, that's a different mindset altogether.

00:31:56.440 So that tells us where the party's sitting, but not necessarily where the province is sitting,

00:32:00.640 which is a danger that a leader always has to get, you know, work that balance out between

00:32:04.860 what your party stalwarts want, but what's going to make you electable, which is the goal

00:32:09.260 in the end as well.

00:32:10.780 And I think she's got quite a conundrum going on.

00:32:12.920 I think so.

00:32:13.320 Well, I was going to ask you, do you think that that's kind of maybe fractured the party

00:32:16.220 a bit now?

00:32:17.160 Because it seems like people on the right always have a history of infighting, especially

00:32:21.040 stuff like this.

00:32:21.860 We're our own worst enemies.

00:32:22.860 I was ranting a bit about that earlier.

00:32:24.840 Like, all our history of past premiers, they haven't been taken out by elections.

00:32:29.360 They've been taken out by their own members every time.

00:32:31.940 Jason Kenney, et cetera?

00:32:33.400 Kenney, Klein, you know, I guess Getty was getting on the brink.

00:32:38.200 It's pressure from underneath, Stelmac, Redford.

00:32:41.880 That's just the way it goes.

00:32:43.340 Smith's still popular, but it can and does change.

00:32:45.560 I pointed out Klein earlier in the show because he was madly popular in Alberta.

00:32:49.040 Oh yeah, 100%.

00:32:49.780 But after enough time, he became, you know, not reviled.

00:32:54.880 Thankfully, he went when he did because it would have gotten worse.

00:32:57.120 But his own members had said it's time.

00:32:59.100 So it can turn on Smith.

00:33:01.800 My thoughts, again, I think she's got to give the Alberta Prosperity Project, those

00:33:05.960 activists, the hardcore independent supporters.

00:33:08.580 I'm an independent supporter.

00:33:10.660 Give them a vent.

00:33:12.200 Get the referendum going.

00:33:13.540 That's my view.

00:33:14.220 That's what I've pushed repeatedly.

00:33:15.760 I'll schedule it.

00:33:16.520 I mean, I don't think Smith should get up and say, I support independence.

00:33:19.160 She wasn't given that mandate.

00:33:21.680 She doesn't have enough popular support. 0.79

00:33:23.400 But I think she's got a good case to make and say, well, look, on the left, Lukasik wants

00:33:28.320 one on independence.

00:33:29.780 On the right, he wants one on independence.

00:33:32.640 It would be remiss, you know, not to say let's have one in late June.

00:33:37.120 I think, just my own speculation for what little it's worth, a lot of those things in

00:33:41.720 the MOU had hard deadlines in them, which is kind of a good point saying, okay, this

00:33:45.380 is it.

00:33:45.700 Like we got to, but she also had nine points that were supposed to happen by Cray Cup that 0.99

00:33:49.260 didn't really.

00:33:49.580 Yeah, and she said the MOU, I think, addressed seven of those nine, something like that,

00:33:52.840 if I remember.

00:33:53.280 Something like that.

00:33:53.900 And still, it's all just a piece of paper promising things, but whatever.

00:33:57.480 But if you made the referendum, well, mid-June, because all those deadlines hit in April and

00:34:01.640 June, that there gives her some leverage when you're wanting to cross those things off that

00:34:07.120 checklist to get things done.

00:34:08.840 As a referendum campaign is going on, if they had a win, you know, some of those things

00:34:14.960 checked off, that could deflate some of the independence movement.

00:34:17.240 And if this thing is spinning its wheels and it looks like Carney's jerking us around,

00:34:21.860 that referendum support's going to go up.

00:34:23.440 Well, I was just about to ask you, if this MOU leads to nothing and no pipeline, do you

00:34:26.840 think that's going to just skyrocket independence sentiment?

00:34:29.200 I don't know what skyrocket, but it'll definitely solidify it, make it grow.

00:34:32.220 Because again, people have to wonder what the point is anymore.

00:34:34.840 Yeah.

00:34:34.940 Um, but it would just, you know, politically even just takes that pressure out of her party. 1.00

00:34:40.420 The, you've got Jeff Raff, Mitch Sylvester, uh, Dennis Modery, Chris Scott, great guys

00:34:45.060 pushing the independence thing, but they're spinning their wheels.

00:34:47.720 They're stuck right now.

00:34:49.240 So that's why the pressure is going to the party.

00:34:50.920 That's the only events they have.

00:34:52.060 That's the only place they can exert pressure for this.

00:34:54.380 And that's why she dealt with a room full of hardcore independence people in a room. 0.99

00:34:58.500 If they're all pounding the pavement on a referendum campaign, they're out of her hair.

00:35:02.500 Then she could work on the healthcare reform.

00:35:04.120 She can work on the railway to Banff.

00:35:06.340 She can work on all these other things in an MOU whilst, uh, the independence guys are

00:35:10.840 busy doing their thing.

00:35:12.300 Absolutely.

00:35:12.840 That's my thoughts.

00:35:13.520 But again, I'm just going to babbles online.

00:35:15.420 About the same, I would say.

00:35:17.100 Right on.

00:35:17.740 Well, I appreciate all those updates and the stories.

00:35:19.840 I'm looking forward to that other one coming up to see you at the possible feet of Mr.

00:35:23.420 uh, Nicolaides.

00:35:24.900 That's it.

00:35:25.440 See, I got it better.

00:35:26.100 He's education minister.

00:35:27.180 Right on.

00:35:27.820 And, uh, all the rest of this stuff going on.

00:35:31.180 So thanks again, Dave.

00:35:32.040 And thank you, Corey.

00:35:33.100 Appreciate it.

00:35:33.560 See you later in the newsroom.

00:35:34.500 Will do.

00:35:34.920 See you again.

00:35:35.220 Right on.

00:35:37.000 All right, guys.

00:35:37.500 Yes.

00:35:38.040 Lots on the go.

00:35:38.740 Lots of speculation.

00:35:39.720 It's good to get a chance to chatter with somebody other than Dave on these things.

00:35:44.020 Well, different Dave anyways.

00:35:45.920 He's got some different views of his own.

00:35:48.300 We've got a lot going on.

00:35:49.640 So yeah, reporting on the AGM in general, though.

00:35:51.940 I mean, I think...

00:35:53.420 As far as AGMs go, it was still a win.

00:35:58.420 Like, the world has changed politically in Alberta.

00:36:00.820 And I'm going to give credit to somebody who, you know, was a character and so on.

00:36:05.020 But the guy who really did it in changing member-driven type of politics in Alberta

00:36:10.260 was David Barker with the Take Back Alberta movement.

00:36:15.780 His was, you know, almost obsessively focused on getting rid of Jason Kenney.

00:36:20.120 That was the chip on his shoulder.

00:36:21.680 That was his beef.

00:36:22.680 But the mechanism he used to do it...

00:36:25.040 You see, so many other advocacy groups, they go into advertising.

00:36:28.360 They go into doing stunts.

00:36:29.920 They do all sorts of other things to get their way or try to change public opinion.

00:36:34.360 What David Barker did was utilize the party's own structure to remove a leader.

00:36:41.440 He went out and organized constituency by constituency by constituency.

00:36:45.720 He sold memberships within the party by the thousands.

00:36:50.460 And people were inspired to take part.

00:36:52.440 It was kind of a magical part of timing as well because COVID had happened.

00:36:56.360 People didn't have much they could do outside of their homes.

00:36:59.440 And they were pretty frustrated.

00:37:00.500 And they were extremely ticked off with Kenney and with things in general.

00:37:04.760 So people who'd never considered buying a political membership before were buying political

00:37:09.020 memberships by the thousands.

00:37:11.400 And in the end, with a huge hard-fought voting campaign within the party itself, Jason Kenney

00:37:18.220 was dislodged as the leader of the party, a sitting premier.

00:37:20.900 Now, Parker kind of faded off as did the Take Back Alberta movement itself.

00:37:29.200 But thousands and thousands of people renewed their memberships.

00:37:31.880 That's what we're seeing.

00:37:32.620 Thousands and thousands of people are now engaged who weren't engaged before.

00:37:36.400 They're still going to AGMs.

00:37:38.080 They're still participating in their constituency associations.

00:37:41.140 They're still working the ground.

00:37:43.000 And that's changed everything.

00:37:44.200 That's why last year in Red Deer, their AGM, UCP AGM, was the biggest one ever held in

00:37:51.520 Canadian history, even though there really wasn't anything all that controversial happening.

00:37:56.180 There was a leadership review for Smith, but she came in well over 90% support from the

00:38:00.260 members who were there.

00:38:01.460 But you have now these thousands of engaged people who want to come out to these things.

00:38:06.380 When the Wildrose Party was heading, you know, they were the official opposition.

00:38:11.340 We would hold AGMs.

00:38:12.440 I remember one in Calgary at the TELUS Convention Center.

00:38:15.380 I think we had maybe 800 people and we were thrilled by how huge this thing was, how big

00:38:19.740 it was.

00:38:21.320 Now, as I said, Edmonton, expensive, bad weather, and still 4,400 people paid the money, drove

00:38:29.880 all the way up there to take part in policy formulation, voting for their, that was something

00:38:36.100 that was, you know, kind of interesting going on in this one.

00:38:37.920 There was a definite slate trying to push with some of the party executive positions.

00:38:41.300 And of course, as I keep mentioning with the others, and Dave mentioned, both Dave's mentioned,

00:38:45.240 the socializing.

00:38:46.240 The reason, you know, that Dave number one had to sleep all the way back from Edmonton

00:38:50.820 to Calgary that morning.

00:38:53.420 As he said, I only drink diet Coke, so I was fine.

00:38:55.900 But some people were a little bleary-eyed.

00:38:57.340 But that's the important part.

00:38:58.360 And you know, we talk about the hospitality suite.

00:39:01.340 Yeah, the Western Standard held.

00:39:04.080 And it was huge.

00:39:04.700 Free drinks, the works, quite a party going on.

00:39:08.120 Politics can be fun.

00:39:09.560 It doesn't always have to be drudgery.

00:39:11.100 And you kind of need that.

00:39:11.900 When you're sitting through a whole day of voting on policy and people fighting over the

00:39:15.740 placement of a comma and a policy document or something like that, and that's kind of

00:39:19.020 part of what comes with it.

00:39:20.160 To be able to cut loose at the suites and so on and socialize.

00:39:24.100 You're getting together with other people of the same mind.

00:39:27.820 And you bond.

00:39:29.040 This is a powerful, powerful party.

00:39:31.940 This is, again, the people who do love Smith still at this point, getting together, uniting,

00:39:39.340 having a good time together, sharing what they have in common with things.

00:39:43.880 And that means the UCP is formidable.

00:39:46.560 Very much so.

00:39:48.220 And if you're an organizer, whether it's an advocacy group or a political party or whatever,

00:39:52.780 just keep that in mind.

00:39:54.100 You want to make your group strong.

00:39:56.180 Make sure it's not always drudgery.

00:39:57.760 Have events in your constituency that are fun.

00:40:00.200 Get together.

00:40:01.060 Do things where you can socialize.

00:40:03.460 You want your, your people are truly what makes that party.

00:40:07.960 And you want them to know each other by name.

00:40:09.400 You want them to look forward to coming out to these things and not feel it's an obligation.

00:40:13.320 So, again, and I have a lot of differences with Mr. Parker.

00:40:16.480 We've had those differences a lot.

00:40:17.920 But I do have to tip a hat to him.

00:40:19.240 He engaged his province and it stayed that way.

00:40:21.960 But now we've got to make sure, or at least Premier Smith has to make sure, that she can keep this under control. 0.93

00:40:29.260 She's got the tiger by the tail. 1.00

00:40:31.080 And I do feel a referendum is the best tool to do that.

00:40:36.940 I don't think she should take a side in one.

00:40:38.940 I don't think she should become full pro-independence.

00:40:41.720 That would be crazy.

00:40:42.380 It would be political suicide.

00:40:43.560 It would lead to Premier Nenshii.

00:40:44.920 And then you'll never, ever, ever have a referendum vote, or at least not while he's alive or in power.

00:40:50.860 But she's got a very good case to say it's the will of Albertans to hold one.

00:40:55.520 Would a referendum win tomorrow?

00:40:57.220 No.

00:40:57.860 No, I really don't think so.

00:40:59.120 I think at best tomorrow, 30, maybe 35% if a referendum was held.

00:41:04.580 But with six months of campaigning, with the MOU proving itself to be complete junk and garbage and just a dodge, a distraction, a pretty thing to hang over there for Albertans whilst he ignores what we need.

00:41:15.420 That can change, and that can change fast.

00:41:18.300 And a lot of things can change fast.

00:41:19.900 You know, talk about populism. 0.57

00:41:22.320 We, you know, Brexit, for example, you know, not necessarily the best example of a clean break or anything, but still, people who poo-pooed it when that campaign was getting going over there.

00:41:31.460 People said it was never going to happen.

00:41:32.800 People will never go that way.

00:41:33.900 It was all the academics, all of the tall foreheads, all of the media, all the usual clowns talking down to people, saying, you know, the masses don't want this. 0.99

00:41:41.900 This is dumb. 1.00

00:41:42.700 Don't do it. 0.99

00:41:43.120 Well, guess what?

00:41:43.620 They were wrong.

00:41:44.260 And people actually used that vote to give them the middle finger.

00:41:47.640 They used it to push back.

00:41:49.440 So if a referendum campaign is held in Alberta, it won't be important just how much the proponents of independence campaign, but how the rest of the country and the opponents to independence respond to it.

00:42:02.900 Because if they talk down their noses to Albertans, they insult Albertans, and we get a lot of it, right?

00:42:08.100 Where are the hillbillies?

00:42:08.860 Where are the rednecks? 1.00

00:42:09.480 I saw somebody else saying, oh, it's going to be Texas North.

00:42:12.160 And that's my post online was so, he called that a bad thing.

00:42:16.040 I can think of worse things than being prosperous and free, but don't take a referendum for granted on either side of the issue, because we have an activated galvanized electorate.

00:42:29.380 And the Alberta Prosperity Project, I'm not a member of them, but I've spoken at some of their chapter meetings.

00:42:34.600 They've done quite a job on organizing all around the province.

00:42:39.240 They do have hundreds of thousands of people ready to roll when the referendum comes.

00:42:43.800 That's part of what the problem is.

00:42:45.160 They've got them ready.

00:42:46.340 They're sitting there, you know, they're, they're like racehorses in the gate.

00:42:49.680 They want to get at it.

00:42:50.760 And the gate's not opening and the gate's not opening.

00:42:53.280 And that's why, again, that pressure's turning inwards.

00:42:55.020 And we saw Smith booed at her own AGM.

00:42:58.120 She's still very popular.

00:42:59.580 There's no doubt about it.

00:43:01.140 But when you were booed at your own AGM, you do have to take that seriously.

00:43:05.980 And I mean, it was what she was saying rather than her herself.

00:43:08.180 And yeah, the elephant in the room is indigenous bands. 1.00

00:43:14.780 You've got to stand up to them, you know, and I, even if it's not just the pipeline guys,

00:43:18.700 we've really screwed this country up with this mythology and giving a certain race of people 1.00

00:43:22.580 a veto power and authority that they really, it's just dividing us and it's not working.

00:43:28.320 Things are getting worse and worse on reserves.

00:43:30.460 Go out and have a look at one.

00:43:32.040 Check out my YouTube channel, Corey Morgan.

00:43:33.900 Search it out on YouTube.

00:43:34.740 I've been charged by the Siksika band for exposing how bad it is there after they were given

00:43:39.760 $1.2 billion.

00:43:43.060 It's failing.

00:43:43.940 It's failing them.

00:43:44.980 It's hurting them.

00:43:45.780 It's costing us.

00:43:46.840 It's failing them.

00:43:48.120 Here's another one that just came out.

00:43:49.060 The government of BC gave $6 million to three First Nations that claim Vancouver as their

00:43:54.720 ancestral territory ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

00:43:58.560 How the Musqueam, Squamish, and some other unpronounceable First Nations will spend the cash 0.97

00:44:02.980 has not been revealed.

00:44:03.660 In other words, just here, have some money. 0.99

00:44:05.020 Shut up. 1.00

00:44:06.060 But they won't shut up. 1.00

00:44:07.180 They're just taking more money, taking more money, taking more money.

00:44:11.360 We saw in the case of BC as well, University of Victoria, Francis Whittowson was arrested

00:44:18.860 for carrying a sign saying, where's the 215?

00:44:21.700 It was talking about the hoax in Kamloops of the fake burial of 215 children out there.

00:44:28.100 Arrested for trying to discuss this sort of thing.

00:44:30.200 We need resolution.

00:44:31.880 Not throwing more money at it.

00:44:32.860 That band was given $12 million, even more than these guys got for doing nothing with

00:44:38.620 the FIFA World Cup coming along.

00:44:41.360 It's an extortion racket at this point.

00:44:43.440 They were given $12 million to search for bodies.

00:44:45.800 We're supposedly all in one small field and they didn't dig a hole.

00:44:48.420 And they want more money.

00:44:50.820 They always want more money.

00:44:52.960 And you know, I could live with it if everybody was living the high life and they were doing

00:44:56.320 all right on these reserves, but they aren't.

00:44:58.080 They're in squalor and there's garbage all over the place.

00:45:01.400 And there's social ills and they're dying.

00:45:04.460 They're dying young.

00:45:05.560 That's how bad it is.

00:45:06.520 I've talked about that before.

00:45:08.320 Search it out.

00:45:09.480 The average male First Nations person in Alberta dies 19 years younger than everybody else.

00:45:15.160 Try to tell me that we're supposed to maintain this system when that's the stat.

00:45:18.320 All right.

00:45:18.680 That's what I got today, guys.

00:45:19.640 Tune into the pipeline tonight.

00:45:21.780 We'll be breaking down some more issues and going on in those.

00:45:24.020 And again, yes, this studio has been busy.

00:45:25.900 Poor John's been running like crazy, recording all sorts of interviews and news updates.

00:45:30.640 So subscribe to all those channels.

00:45:32.280 Share them.

00:45:33.080 Subscribe to The Standard.

00:45:34.340 Thank you for tuning in.

00:45:35.160 We'll see you next week at this time again with a whole new raft of issues to go on about.

00:45:50.980 We'll see you next week.

Western Standard - December 08, 2025

CORY MORGAN SHOW： Quit pretending we need indigenous consent!

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