TRIGGER WARNING:  I’m going to talk about the National Energy Program.  I realize that this was only 30 years ago, so the wounds that we Albertans feel are still pretty raw.  However, while some of you may well say “Too Soon, man, too soon,”  I’m going to press on.  You’ve been warned.

Canada is currently engaged in a federal election, and many people (read: “me”) don’t want to vote for Harper.  So, as a practical matter, I’m assuming that the reader has basically decided that Harper is a dick, and you’re trying to decide between Mr. Mulcair or Mr. Trudeau.  I’m also assuming that you live in Western Canada.

Both Mr. Mulcair and Trudeau can make credible claims to being progressive candidates.  Both have stated economic policy pieces, and both have expressed a commitment to the environment.

However, from an Alberta perspective, one of the main differences is that Justin has expressly stated that he will not use environmental policy as an excuse to disproportionately tax Western Canada.  From his book, Common Grounds, p. 275, line 16:

“I made a commitment that day in Alberta that a Liberal Party led by me would never use western resource wealth to buy eastern votes.”

If you get the book, he deals with this issue extensively from p. 275 – 277.  I’ve reviewed Mr. Mulcair’s book, Strength of Conviction, and there is no similar statement.  Indeed, Mr. Mulcair has been evasive on this exact issue, refusing to give a direct answer (presumably for good reason, as his “base” is now in Quebec).

All Albertans should treat this issue seriously, but especially progressives.  We like civil liberties, and we don’t like it when The Harper Government ™ starts doing a hatchet job on them.  On the other hand, we’ve had many, many eastern politicians attempt to use Western Canada as a cash cow, knowing full well that there are few votes here, especially in rural Alberta.  Mr. Layton and Mr. Dion were very clear on these points, and they showed up in both their stump speeches and written policies.  When you hear things like “we’re going to tax the tar sands” (in Alberta) to create “green jobs” (for all of Canada), you are essentially stating that you will unilaterally and randomly damage Western Canada’s economy.

You can be very, very progressive, and just hate Harper a whole bunch, but nobody is down for that crap.  This is why many progressives in Alberta, in the past, voted for Steve.  I don’t claim to be well versed in the hard sciences, but I’m relatively certain that whatever the solution is, there is no “scientific” reason to move money out of the West.  For example, if you need to impose a tax, that revenue could remain in Alberta for Alberta infrastructure or public services.  Or, you could just give it back to the provincial treasury.

Mr. Trudeau has also been very, very clear on how he plans on funding his policy initiatives.  Essentially, he is going to lower the tax rates on “the middle-class,” and raise them on the top earners.  You can agree or disagree with this, but it is both plausible and clear.  And (most importantly), because it is from income tax, it applies all across Canada.  Mr. Trudeau’s plan will affect BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and everywhere else exactly the same.  Again, Mr. Mulcair has refused to deal with this issue.

Mr. Trudeau’s book also gives you some perspective on the guy, and I found it favorable.  While a lot of people tend to focus on his dad (Trudeau1), it turns out that he also had a mother, Margaret.  Who knew?  Not me.  Margaret had really strong ties to Western Canada, specifically B.C., to the point that her father was also a well known retail politician.  However, Justin’s grandfather was more of the “glad-handing-hail-fellow-well-met” kind of politician.  I’m about the same age as Justin, so I only have vague memories of Trudeau1, but by all accounts he was quite cerebral and probably more than a little authoritarian (perhaps even Harper-esque).

I think it’s safe to say that Justin has more of the mother than the father in him.  After finishing grade school, in what had to have been a pretty bizarre upbringing (i.e. having a famous father), he goes and gets a liberal arts degree in Eastern Canada.  Then, he heads out west to (essentially) be a ski-bum and bouncer in Whistler.  Later, he gets a teaching certificate, and teaches for several years in the lower mainland.  Then it’s back east again, for marriage and politics.

There’s no doubt this guy was born rich, but I’m not sure I would have traded places with him.  In fact, there were parts of the book I could sort of identify with.  Let’s face, the ski-bum-drifter thing is a right of passage in many parts of Western Canada, especially for those of us with a liberal arts background.  Further, I think it’s pretty safe to say that this guy got a FREAKING EARFUL about the NEP during his stay here (“Oh, your dad was PET?  That guy is an asshole!”)

It amazes me how strong this sentiment still is in some parts of Alberta, especially rural Alberta.  I travel quite a bit for work, and so I’ll be talking to people about how they plan on voting, and many people still “remember” the NEP and Trudeau1.

I’ve got to ask myself, how fair is this really?  What if someone “hated” me because of something they “remembered” my dad doing 30 years ago?  Not cool, says I, and I think I’d like to extend Mr. Trudeau the same courtesy.

Justin Trudeau has GONE OUT OF HIS WAY to say he’s not going to repeat the mistakes of his father, in a way no other politician has.  He’s dealt with this issue point blank, in writing and in his stump speeches.  He stood, in Calgary, in the petroleum club and said it.  He’s got strong ties to Western Canada, and seems to “get” this issue.

And that’s good enough for me.

I’m an Albertan voting for a Liberal named Trudeau, and you should too.