Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney has re-emerged from political hibernation to warn that a sovereignty referendum would be “deeply divisive,” which is a bit like a retired arsonist cautioning the public about the dangers of fire. Kenney, who spent much of his tenure balancing on the wobbly stool of Alberta nationalism, now insists that poking Ottawa in the eye could inflame tensions.
Critics note that Kenney himself once threatened quasi-separation with the “Fair Deal Panel,” a nostalgia tour for anyone still bitter about Pierre Trudeau. Now, apparently, he’s discovered that slapping the federal government with ultimatums can actually make people angry, a revelation akin to realizing that punching a hornet’s nest won’t lead to honey.
Meanwhile, sovereigntists shrugged off Kenney’s comments, noting that being “divisive” is the entire point. If unity is the goal, they say, why bother with democracy at all when you could just keep yelling at Ottawa until someone leaves the room?
