Friday, April 22, 2011

"The West" Issues Threats

Excerpted from The Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB)'s news release:

(Calgary) The Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB), Calgary's largest and Western Canada's fastest growing business and taxpayer organization is warning Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton to honour their previous commitments and respect the wishes of Canadians if May 2 results in another Conservative Party minority.

"Western Canada will not tolerate a purposeful slap in the face if the government they chose is rejected by Canada's Central Canadian parties. The threat of the West organizing to separate is real and reared it's head in a serious way last time the coalition threat occurred. Unlike Quebec, the West can afford to leave and even pay its share of the debt on the way out" stated Craig B. Chandler, Executive Director of the PGIB.

[...]

"We are fighting for Canada and want to keep this country together, but, will no longer be ignored or relegated to the sidelines. We are fighting hard this election for a united Canada, but, we ask the rest of the country to finally listen to our cry. The West has free trade with the United States and even Mexico, but, endures inter-provincial trade barriers with the rest of Canada. The West contributes billions and receives less back as part of being part of confederation than any other region. We will no longer be ignored. Either we Re-federate this nation to be a confederation of equal provinces where no one province has special status or power over another, or we part ways. We believe Stephen Harper can and will unite this country. A vote for any other party put's us on a course none of us expected or may have even wanted", concluded Chandler.

On Easter too.  How nice!

17 comments:

Shiner said...

Stoopid Easterners not... um... putting the Conservatives in... um... government? Good to know the past 5 years have just been a long nightmare, the Eastern elites have remained in power the whole time, whew!

Unknown said...

Shorter Chandler to MPs:

Whatever province you're elected in, you're in parliament to represent the Conservative voters of Alberta.

CuJoYYC said...

As a born and bred Westerner and entrepreneur who's lived in Calgary for 37 years I couldn't disagree more with the fringe element that Chandler and his so-called "Progressive" group represent. Chandler is a known wingnut and loose cannon here in Calgary.

He doesn't speak for me nor almost all the people that I know here. went to school with here and do business with here in lovely, sunny Calgary.

Chandler is just another evangelical, homophobe political right-wing hack transplanted from Ontario.

A Eliz. said...

Sounds like part of The Northern Foundation and the Heritage front getting irate!

Holly Stick said...

Just want to emphasize Curtis' point that Chandler is from Ontario, which may explain why he is so rabid about his conception of westerners. He doesn't speak for real westerners.

KC said...

Agreed that Chandler is a known nut. I wouldn't take anything he says as being representative of the West.

bigcitylib said...

Not representive. But, in Alberta politics, ubiquitous. And he sends me his news releases, so what the hell?

Scott MacNeil said...

Where do I line up to give Craig B. Chandler (Executive Director of the PGIB) a good hard swift kick in tha balls? Anybody know?

Anonymous said...

Here's why you should never count out the west.

"Six provinces will receive approximately $14.7 billion in equalization payments in 2011-12 including Prince Edward Island ($330 million), Nova Scotia ($1.2billion), New Brunswick ($1.5 billion), Ontario ($2.4 billion), Manitoba ($1.7 billion) and Quebec ($7.6 billion). As one notices, Quebec will receive more than one-half of the equalization payments."

Why should the west keep bailing out the rest of the country?

bigcitylib said...

Ontario has been bailing out the entire country since you were in short-pants, PK, without complaining about it. Why do Albertans have special license to whine?

WhigWag said...

hey, Prairie Kid: do you personally pay any more federal tax as a resident of whatever Prairie province you're in than you would as a resident of one of the 'have-not' prov's?

No. Then what's your beef?

Cuz' you're identifying more with your Province than with your Country (and forgetting about the long history of support it likely rcvd from the ROC):

i.e., the very thing your lot condemns Quebeckers for?

Spare us the hypocrisy, please.

double nickel said...

PK is a troll who is best ignored.

Gene Rayburn said...

PK is just that guy who never left his hometown: angry, bitter & jealous of those that actually did something with their lives.

sunsin said...

You know what's funniest of all? The wealth of the West is overwhelmingly because of natural resources, and the oil of Alberta, for instance, was not formed by the concentrated virtue of Albertans. It's simple, dumb geological luck. When pressed on this point, the typical answer is to whine that it's hard work getting the oil or coal or whatever out of the ground. True, but at least it's profitable work as well as hard work. You can work all day in the Newfoundland fisheries and have nothing but your labor for your pains.

Deno said...

You know what's funniest of all? The wealth of the southern Ontario is overwhelmingly because of its geographical location to large US markets and the wealth created by this geographical luck has nothing to do with the concentrated virtue of Ontarians. It's simple, dumb geographical luck. When Ontarians are pressed on this point, the typical answer is to whine that it's hard work making cars for Americans. True, but at least it's profitable work as well as hard work. You can work all day in the Newfoundland fisheries and have nothing but your labor for your pains.

Deno

Holly Stick said...

The larger problem is that the tarsands are playing a big role in turning Canada into a petrostate, which does not bode well for democracy:

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/04/21/SilentElectionIssue/

Deno said...

You know what's even funnier or sad? Trolls like Gene continue to peddle his small minded views and lack of understanding of sarcasm when he sees it to the detriment of Canada.

I'm a Canadian who likes our entire country and is getting tired of Geme's lack of understanding of sarcasm when he sees it bullshit.

I used Sunsin own words and change them to a Ontario bent to show he/she how stupid his/her rant was.

I just did it to you too Gene in case your IQ doesn’t allow you to understand this.


Deno