|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
OTTAWA – A former Liberal cabinet minister and Montreal mayor says Alberta is “jealous” of Quebec’s position in the federation.
“I think that if we cut that rhetoric and we’re more factual, we will witness that maybe Alberta is jealous of some of the powers that Quebec has and would like to have that kind of autonomy,” said Denis Coderre in an interview on CTV’s Question Period, airing Sunday.
The former immigration minister said it’s time to acknowledge that politicians like Alberta Premier Jason Kenney are pushing “their own political agenda.”
Kenney has been vocal about his province’s economic demands and their desire for more independence, like pulling out of the federal pension plan – an idea he floated last week. He’s also threatened to hold a referendum over the federal government’s equalization formula, which dishes out the most funds to Quebec.
In a written statement to CTVNews.ca, a spokesperson from the premier’s office said “Aside from Mr. Coderre’s choice of words, we’ve been clear that Alberta should be able to exercise the same provincial rights as Quebec, if it should so choose.”
[…]
See Also:
(1) Four in five Albertans pessimistic about economy in 2020: Poll
(2) What could Alberta’s own pension plan look like?
