January 20, 2006
The Alberta card
The Prime Minister's Atlantic campaign pitch: "that scary Albertan Stephen Harper, who comes from Alberta, where all the right-wing Albertans live, hates Atlantic Canada. Canadians should not elect an Albertan who puts down other parts of the country, even if he is from Alberta and can't help himself. Did I mention he's from Alberta?"
Nova Scotians can’t trust Peter MacKay to look after their interests in a Conservative government, says Paul Martin, because scary right-wing Albertans will be running the show.
"Peter MacKay doesn’t really count," the prime minister said in a phone interview from Ontario on Thursday.
"All of Stephen Harper’s advisers come from Calgary. They come from where he is. Peter MacKay is not going to be the person who’s going to be deciding."
If the Liberals somehow survive this election - and, with polls showing they've regained their lead in Ontario, they might - I will not be able to blame at least some Albertans if they think Canada no longer wants them. (Aside from all the oil money, that is.)
Flashback: Feb. 4, 2004:
PETER MANSBRIDGE:
In spite of whatever else your administration may achieve through whatever length of time it's in office, if you leave office without some resolution or a clear path to resolution on this issue, will it be a failure then?
PAUL MARTIN:
I have said essentially that there are two areas that I will deem my mandate to have been a failure. One is the issue of western alienation, which I don't believe is a myth. I think it is a reality, and I am determined to do something about it, and the second one is the issue we're just talking about now and that is aboriginal.