A Fair Deal: The song that never ends

If you’re a parent or you’ve ever gone on a long car ride with small children, at some point you have likely heard the aptly titled,  “Song that never ends.”

For those who’ve forgotten it, allow me to refresh your memory. The lyrics go like this:

“This is the song that never ends.

It goes on and on, my friend!

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was,

And they will continue singing it forever just because…”

The song, as you may expect, is repeated endlessly, and the volume increases based on the frustration level of the audience.

This, my friends, is the perfect metaphor for the government of Alberta’s toothless and counterproductive campaign to win a Fair Deal from the federal government.

For decades, Albertans have diligently supported politicians who promise change but make no real attempt to achieve lasting fairness for our province.

When it comes to faking the fight for a Fair Deal, former Premier Jason Kenney is the poster boy.

In his 2019 election victory speech, he stated, “Today, we begin to stand up for ourselves, for our jobs, for our future. Today we begin to fight back.” But Kenney government ultimately spent more time appeasing Ottawa than fighting back on the assumption that Albertans would confuse grandstanding for real achievements.

The Premier’s office issued a series of toothless threats and empty letters to federal officials, and even approved “Turn Off the Taps” legislation that the government clearly had no intention of ever using. At the same time, it quietly reached deals with Ottawa to reduce emissions and increase the provincial carbon tax on local industries. The financial costs of these agreements are currently being passed on to consumers and are helping to drive up costs for Alberta’s families.

What did Kenney get for playing ball with Trudeau? Nothing. The Trudeau government happily continued killing energy projects, pipelines, and jobs. As for the key Fair Deal issues, including scrapping the federal consumer Carbon Tax, fixing Equalization, overhauling Fiscal Stabilization, repealing Bill C-48, and revamping Bill C-69, no real progress was achieved.

Under Premier Smith, little has improved. No moves have been made to see Alberta take back control over areas of provincial jurisdiction. No meaningful negotiations have been launched to resolve the Fair Deal Issues, and no deadline for an agreement has ever been set.

As far as I can tell, the only change is that Kenney’s empty threats to use “Turn Off the Taps,” legislation have been replaced by Smith’s empty threats to use the “Alberta Sovereignty Act.”

Albertans have been fighting for a Fair Deal for more than 40 years. Enough is enough. No more letters. No more vague press releases. No more backroom deals to kill our industries, or transfer away the fruits of another generation’s labours.

When the UCP was elected in 2019 the federal carbon tax was $20 per tonne. It’s now $65, on the way to $170 over the next seven years. The more time our provincial government wastes with pointless politicking and positioning, the worse life gets for our families and communities.

There is only one way to put an end to this sorry state of affairs: Put a clock on it. Set a firm deadline to achieve a Fair Deal, followed by a referendum. Give Albertans the final say.

If Ottawa can set arbitrary deadlines for things like carbon taxes or Net Zero regulations, Alberta can set deadlines too.

If we don’t, I can guarantee you one thing: this song will never end.

- Drew Barnes is the former MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat and member of the Government of Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel