[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

If it's for a Constitutional amendment the other provinces must be involved, otherwise there's nothing that can actually be done with regards to the question. So again I ask: what are you negotiating?



This idea that causing a ruckus is how Quebec kept getting its special treatment and not because Quebec is a large voting bloc that is willing to vote for whomever gives them what they want, is being dishonest. If Quebec only ever voted for the Liberals, en masse, regardless of whether or not they were given any money, they wouldn't get anywhere near as much as they have gotten. But they can swing elections, they can make majorities, and they're willing to accept all offers. Alberta doesn't do this, make the feds as uncomfortable as you want, there is nothing to gain for any federal party to give in (CPC included, which is why they didn't do it either). Kenney knows this better than anybody in this election.



Make the feds uncomfortable? What a waste of time. This is the federal government, regardless of who it is, they live in a perpetual state of being uncomfortable.

This is what MBates said from the Alberta politics thread:

"Following the legal principles set out in the Quebec Secession Reference, a province can hold a referendum with a clear question and create the legal obligation for the rest of confederation to come to the negotiating table to seek a constitutional amendment.

Secession is one type of constitutional amendment that can be pursued via this process. There is nothing that would be principally different about seeking any other constitutional negotiation by way of a clear provincial referendum:"

Quote:
The Constitution is the expression of the sovereignty of the people of Canada. It lies within the power of the people of Canada, acting through their various governments duly elected and recognized under the Constitution, to effect whatever constitutional arrangements are desired within Canadian territory, including, should it be so desired, the secession of Quebec from Canada.

Quote:
Although the Constitution does not itself address the use of a referendum procedure, and the results of a referendum have no direct role or legal effect in our constitutional scheme, a referendum undoubtedly may provide a democratic method of ascertaining the views of the electorate on important political questions on a particular occasion.

So this clear precedent forces parties to negotiate. That's the point, and it's possible. In regards to what to negotiate? I don't know there's lots of ways to word it around, ultimately I think it would be putting the equalization formula or it itself on the table. The point is say 'hey, Federal government, you can kick off a full blown constitutional crisis or you can ensure the construction of a coastal export pipeline and we'll continue to pay into this program as is.' You can join the waste-of-time truthers if you want but right now this is a hypothetical to find and exploit leverage points. I'm sure the federal government doesn't want to preside over bitter provincial infighting, constitutional crises, or atlantic canada/quebec losing their meal ticket. It's a bit of a bluff but it's something. Something more substantial than the tact taken in the last four years that has failed spectacularly.