Excessive Ottawa spending, including equalization, high taxes and central Canada’s political domination are all cause for division

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In Alberta, various organizations are busy gathering the 177,732 signatures needed by May 2 to hold a referendum on Alberta’s independence. At two Calgary events I participated in last week, most of the 300 attendees were signers.

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Yet a Research poll released last week found that 49 per cent of Albertans are strongly opposed to independence while another 13 per cent are moderately opposed — which is a steep hill for the separatists to climb. Even so, the poll is consistent with others in finding a meaningful minority in favour of separation: 31 per cent in this case. Even more surprising, among Albertans aged 18-34, 42 per cent favour separation compared with only 52 per cent against.

If held today a separation referendum would likely fail. But still: 1.25 million out of four million eligible voters say they would opt for separation. Why?

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The major reason is economic. An Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) document handed to me as I was walking to my first event last........

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