In the past two weeks, I have participated in two referendum-related events — the Manning Centre’s Alberta and the West virtual assembly and the Canada West two-day panel discussions in Calgary.

The clear takeaway consensus from both events was that there is no risk-free path to protecting Albertans’ future prosperity. The secession option — short-term pain for long-term gain — is much too risky. The short-term pain is certain, huge and expensive, while the long-term gain is possible, but far from certain. This is why a majority of Albertans will vote to stay on Oct. 19.

But the stay option — the status quo — is equally risky. Albertans do not want the next 50 years to be a replica of the past 50 years; five decades during which Alberta was chronically vulnerable to predatory and destructive federal policies. Specifically, the very successful federal Liberal Party strategy of winning majority governments by promising policies that transfer wealth from the energy-rich, voter-poor western provinces to the energy-poor but voter-rich provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

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This is how the Liberals have won 12 of the last 17 federal elections, and why Alberta is a net $631 billion poorer. And why over $100 billion of energy........

© Calgary Herald