Alta. premier must stop pouring gas on the fire

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is beginning to look like something of a separation arsonist.

While she has argued repeatedly that she’s not a supporter of having Alberta separate from Canada (but instead to have the province act more as a sovereign body within a united Canada, whatever that means exactly), she’s also gleefully pouring gas on the Western Canada grievance fire at a very tricky time.

Her latest effort?

Her letter to the prime minister, demanding that the government of Alberta have more of a direct hand in appointing senior judges to the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.

Getting direct input from provincial politicians would be a marked change from the existing system, where an independent judicial advisory committee selects a list of candidates for the federal justice minister to choose from.

Smith also wants direct provincial input into the choice of western candidates being considered for the Supreme Court of Canada, and a removal of the requirement that Supreme Court of Canada judges be bilingual in French and English.

All of this, while threatening that “Alberta’s government will not agree to provide the necessary funding to support any new judicial positions in the province until such engagement and collaboration are provided,” a move that would serve to slow the province’s court system even further.

Smith maintains the changes are important because the federal government has to recognize her province’s “distinct legal traditions.” (What are Alberta’s “distinct legal traditions,” exactly? Using the notwithstanding clause to get your own way when you’re afraid your provincial legislation will be found to violate the rights of citizens under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?)

Don’t think it has anything to do with separatism? Consider the last line of Smith’s letter: “I look forward to working with you to enact these changes to increase the confidence of Alberta in the federal judiciary and national unity.”

Nothing like making a blackmailish sort of point with the last two words in a 509-word letter — “Nice little national unity you’ve got there. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it …”

Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser dismissed the demands quickly, saying the federal government was satisfied with the existing system.

Alberta responded that it would wait for a response only from the prime minister (as if a lowly justice minister was not at an acceptable level to be communicating federal policy in response to a premier’s letter).

So, why is Smith making a push on this topic now?

There are two options: one is that, as an Alberta-first politician, Smith is merely pragmatically using the lever of a separatism threat to gain whatever advantage she can for the province — using the threat to try to force the federal government into appeasement. It’s a risky move, especially given the troubling times Canada is already facing with the staggeringly unpredictable nation to the south of us.

The other option? That despite her words, she’s a stalking horse for separatism, or is at the very least toying with the notion for her own political benefit.

And that, in the process, she is looking for as many lines in the sand as she can possible draw — remember Smith’s demand for a pipeline to B.C.’s coast even over B.C. objections, a line ably stickhandled by Carney? — to build support for the current push for a separation referendum in that province.

We would make a simple suggestion to Premier Smith, given the dangerous times we’re currently living in.

Put away the gas can and find a way to work to unite the country.

» Winnipeg Free Press