OTTAWA — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney warned of deepening Western resentments on Tuesday, following a federal election that sharpened divides between the prairies and Ottawa and laid the groundwork for a potentially raucous parliamentary session this winter.
“If the frustration and alienation in Alberta continues to mount, it will pose a very serious challenge to national unity,” Kenney said, repeating earlier warnings about rising separatist sentiments in the province.
Kenney said he would launch a panel of experts to consult with Albertans about how to “better assert fairness in the federation” as distrust toward Ottawa’s environmental policies grows. Kenney on Tuesday said he spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about potential deals the province could strike with Ottawa as a way to ensure the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, potentially including a higher tax on the province’s heavy emitters.
“This relationship needs some good faith from Ottawa, and if it doesn’t get that I feel that alienation is going to go in a very problematic direction,” Kenney said.
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