OLDS — Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper doesn’t forecast outright separation, but he predicts the provincial government will be more assertive about its rights, once a new United Conservative Party leader is chosen.
Cooper made that statement during an Aug. 30 town hall meeting at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #105 in Olds.
“I think that our relationship with Ottawa is a priority to Albertans at present, and in particular, the constituents of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills,” Cooper said.
“People want to see a stable economy, they want to see a growing economy – all of these things.
“But never in my life as an Albertan have I observed such a willingness of Albertans to try something new when it comes to our relationship with Ottawa.”
However, he said he doesn’t believe Albertans will vote to separate completely from Canada.
“Are there people who are separatists in our constituency? A hundred per cent there are,” Cooper said.
“If the ballot question was placed for referendum ‘should we separate?’ I am a hundred per cent confident that across the province, that would fail today.
“But I do think that people are -- have had an absolute gutful of the way that Alberta has been treated inside Confederation and people have an intrinsic desire to expand our areas that we already control.
“And so I think that regardless of who wins, that will be a priority of the government, because they have all heard it so loudly and so clearly.
“Now what machination that takes, I think only time will tell.”
