New B.C. Conservative Leader Findlay says she’d maintain ‘economic relations’ with an independent Alberta

Article content

Findlay, who was a Conservative MP for a decade before losing her seat in last year’s federal election, said she gained a begrudging respect for the separatist Bloc Québécois during her time in Parliament.

Article content

“When I was serving in Ottawa… the Quebecois there would just look at us and say, ‘well, nothing’s stopping you from having a B.C. party, or an Alberta party,'” said Findlay.

Article content

Findlay said other provinces, including hers, could learn from the way Quebec successfully pushed for more autonomy over things like immigration.

Article content

“I think that we have a number of areas where the provinces should push for a bigger say,” said Findlay.

Article content

Article content

“(I’ll be watching) because I’m looking at all these things as well,” said Findlay.

Article content

Findlay, a lawyer by training says she’s especially interested in ballot question no. 6, which asks if Albertans support amending the constitution to transfer the power to appoint provincial appeal court judges from the federal government to the provinces.

Article content

Article content

She said the current norm of federal governments appointing provincial judges contributes to the centralization of power.

Article content

“You do end up with the (federal) government of the day directly influencing who gets those appointments, with very little provincial and local input,” said Findlay.

Article content

Findlay campaigned on using section 43 of the Constitution to write in a new amendment stating that private property has primacy over aboriginal title in B.C. This would require the approval of both houses of Parliament and the B.C. legislature.

Article content

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said recently that she agreed that courts have interpreted Indigenous treaty and title rights too broadly, and that she’s willing to talk with other premiers about “some kind of constitutional amendment,” to rein this in.

Article content

Smith has been critical of Justice Shaina Leonard’s decision last month to side with Indigenous groups challenging a citizen-led petition for a referendum on Alberta independence. Leonard said in the ruling that the province had a duty to consult with affected First Nations before allowing the petition to go forward.

Article content

Article content

A section 43 amendment affecting Indigenous relations could theoretically cover both B.C. and Alberta, assuming both province’s legislature’s pass supportive resolutions.

Article content

Findlay told National Post she expects to see Smith at a dinner event in Calgary on Friday.

Article content

Alberta separatist leader Jeffrey Rath called Findlay’s comments on Alberta self-determination “measured, reasonable and helpful.”

Article content

Rath said he’d welcome Findlay as an interlocutor at the Confederation table as Alberta negotiates its exit from Canada.

Article content

B.C.’s NDP government, which holds a one-seat majority, has had trouble getting its agenda through the province’s legislature, fuelling speculation that a snap election could be imminent.

Article content

National Post
[email protected]

Article content

Article content