Avi Lewis says Alberta independence 'not comparable' to Quebec separatism

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]Uh, then we've got the NDP leader Abby Lewis weighing in on Western separatism as if we care. What does the NDP think? Oh, well, thanks. Uh, I've changed my mind. I'm a federalist now.

[00:00:14]I've heard from Abby Lewis and he made some really compelling arguments. Said no Western separatist ever.

[00:00:20]Um, I hope they make him the face of federalism. Let's watch.

[00:00:24]>> The separation movement in Alberta has no point of comparison with the historic sovereignty movement in Quebec. This is a mega aligned, potentially funded, disruptive movement.

[00:00:36]>> Uh, funded.

[00:00:37]>> That has been uh, really thrown into national prominence by Danielle Smith addressing this question that a my a portion of her base, a small minority of Albertans, the vast majority of whom want to stay in Canada, don't want to have a referendum that will rip the country apart. That that it's not it's not the same thing.

[00:00:56]>> brings up the question of how does >> that?

[00:00:59]>> How does he know that the vast majority of Albertans want to stay in Canada if there hasn't been a vote?

[00:01:07]>> Right, I was going to say there's one way to find out, isn't there?

[00:01:10]>> Right.

[00:01:11]>> Um, and as he keeps talking, all you can see is why Albertans are increasingly frustrated and a serious number, more than who vote NDP federally by the way here, want to leave. And it's because Quebec is treated as legitimate. Their grievances are legitimate. Their cultural grievances are legitimate.

[00:01:36]Alberta's grievances are cultural, definitely, but they're also economic. And but if we talk about it, well, you're just mega funded. Um, you're mega coded, American funded. But Quebec's, well, those are historic and legitimate.

[00:01:55]There's no evidence of foreign interference in the Alberta referendum process. The RCMP have come out and said that. Um and our grievances, by the way, Abby Lewis, they didn't just like pop up last week. We didn't like decide we didn't like Mark Carney and we're like, "Okay, we're out of here." These are 100 years brewing, 120 years, 21 years almost brewing, um the unfairness within Confederation and really have s- sort of really uptick and gotten organized recently, but really in the last 10-plus years. Guess who's been in charge in the last 10-plus years. So, to say that this is just a recent development because we're just so darn Trumpy out here, really delegitimizes Alberta's problems with the country. And I mean, the fact that we we're not even allowed to talk about it. We are grievances are not treated as historic, but Quebec's, of course, they are.

[00:02:56]>> Yeah, and here, let's just for some balance, uh we have this clip also from Keith Wilson and who's, you know, fighting or arguing the side of independence.

[00:03:09]>> Canada's institutions, with all due respect, are corrupt.

[00:03:14]And we've all witnessed it. We've all witnessed it.

[00:03:18]And it's tragic and it's sad. And you know whose hearts bleed the most when they see it? The veterans. Cuz that's not what they fought for. That's not what they fought for at all. The Canada that exists today is not the Canada they fought for. And the reality is, you know, bankruptcy in 1936, >> 10 seconds.

[00:03:39]>> Alberta ain't going bankrupt. Ottawa is.

[00:03:42]We need to separate from them. When you're told to be careful about what you tear down that fence, the truth of the matter, the sad truth of the matter is, that fence that Mr. Kenney describes is laying on the ground rotting and we need to build a new one for us.

[00:04:01]>> Uh-oh. Yeah, the papers, please. Um analog Well, not analogy, but throughout COVID having to show your papers whether you're vaccinated, there was a time a point in time here in Ontario where you couldn't travel without your zone or outside of your zone. We were put into geographic zones depending on how much COVID you had in your area. And like restaurants were asking for your driver's license to dine in. This was a little bit before the vaccine mandates came out. They were asking you to show proof of residency to access, you know, hair salons, restaurants, basically like any sort of social activity that was open, which was still few and far between. Um and so you were, you know, "Papers, please. Papers, please." And so there was a lot of veterans at that time coming out and say, you know, "We fought against this very thing." And now it's happening and everyone's just following along because it's under the guise of for your health and for your safety. So when he talks about veterans being hit hardest, my mind immediately went back to to that um pandemic response and there's nothing in place to make sure that that never happens again.

[00:05:13]>> Yeah, and you know, I don't think Jason Kenney is the best guy to be arguing for the federalist side, especially if you're trying to convince the roughly 40% of the UCP base who are not hardline federal or separatists, but are definitely convincible because those are the same people who threw him out on his ass after he abused them and went back on all of his promises during COVID. Those people don't like you, Jason Kenney. So you might be appealing to people in BC or Ontario or whatever, but at the end of the day only Albertans get a vote.

[00:05:54]So, yeah, and with regard to you know, trying to advance Alberta's position within Confederation Jason Kenney was premier for 4 years.

[00:06:06]Mhm. What changed?

[00:06:08]He We tried it his way.

[00:06:10]Nothing changed. It didn't get better.

[00:06:12]We're still in the same terrible spot um under the foot of the Laurentian elite.

[00:06:19]So, what is he going to say or do that's any different than the things that he said or did already that haven't worked?

[00:06:26]>> Right.

[00:06:27]Yeah, exactly. You had your chance.

[00:06:30]Yeah, back down. Back away slowly now.

[00:06:32]>> Yeah, all of your strongly worded letters were in the garbage can in the Prime Minister's office.

[00:06:38]Nothing ever happened. So,