Spruce Grove Jeff

Alberta Referendum: What Went Wrong and What Comes Next? As I promised a few days ago, I want to offer my synopsis of the Alberta Referendum held on October 19. This is my opinion, based on how I see things. I recognize that what I am about to say will ruffle a few feathers and that I may lose followers, but c'est la vie! The good news is that over 520,000 Albertans, or more than 25%, support Alberta independence. That is a base to build upon. Over 40% of rural Albertans voted in favour of Option 2. The truth is that Albertans have no appetite for another referendum right now. Perhaps in five or even ten years, things might be different. Now, here comes the brutally honest assessment of what went wrong with the Alberta independence movement and why Option 2 failed. The truth is that the independence movement was never truly united, and we lacked a ground game in large and medium-sized urban centres. Yes, our opponents, including Kenney, Lukaszuk, and Smith, were dishonest, but they had the machinery behind them, they had the money, and they were united, even though we strongly disagreed with their message. In fact, there were factions and infighting within the Alberta independence movement that hurt public perception tenfold. What I am about to share will not be very popular, but it needs to be addressed. I personally hold Jeff Rath responsible for why Option 2 failed so miserably. He stroked his own ego and picked public fights with Cory Morgan and Berta Proud Dad. He was also publicly belligerent toward Keith Wilson, Tanya Clemens, Chris Scott, Bruce Pardy, Nadine Wellwood, and Jason Lavigne, among others, who chose to take the high road. Instead of airing the dirty laundry in private, Rath continued to attack their character in the public domain, mainly on X. His constant attacks were very detrimental to the campaign, as mainstream media outlets and independent supporters exposed him for who he is. When I signed up as a canvasser for Stay Free Alberta and participated in pop-up events and slow rolls for the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), as well as engaging with people on Facebook and X, many people told me they disliked Jeff Rath. For some, that alone was the reason they voted for Option 1. It was not necessarily the message of independence they rejected, but rather the conduct of a lawyer who acted like a schoolyard bully and disrespected voters. When Jeff Rath referred to Keith Wilson as "Benedict Arnold," it revealed the kind of character he was displaying. Not only did he appear selfish, but he also came across as a bully who proclaimed himself the leader of the Alberta independence movement when he clearly was not. Given the fact that he had previously donated to the federal Liberals and the Alberta NDP, his ulterior motives should be questioned by every independence supporter and UCP proponent. With the recent allegations and accusations that Rath and Mitch Sylvestre mishandled donations and mistreated the APP Board of Directors, the APP will need to address these problems if it wants to remain relevant in the future. The public allegations made by Chris Scott and Tanya Clemens suggest that the APP needs to clean house and refocus on its original purpose: an educational initiative intended to unite Albertans around the case for sovereignty. Another reason we failed so miserably was the lack of a ground game in Edmonton, Calgary, and smaller urban centres such as Spruce Grove, Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat. Option 2 received less than 20% support in the two largest cities and less than 30% support in smaller urban centres. During July's slow roll, I expressed my concerns to Mitch Sylvestre and Darlene Clarke, the regional APP manager for Edmonton. I argued that we needed to focus on urban centres instead of small towns, where we were essentially preaching to the choir.

I am going to take a break from social media. I might even disable this account.

I regret joining @StayFreeAlberta and @ABProsperityPrj . I believe in an Independent Alberta but same old corruption. I had first hand experience how disorganized APP was during Option 2 campaign. We had no plan in the cities

I can't believe the @MarkJCarney @JustinTrudeau @liberal_party sent $26 Billion to Ukraine for this! You got blood on your hands Canada!!!