ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In October, Alberta will vote on whether or not to have a binding referendum on separating from Canada. Separatists have latched on to the idea that the Federal government is impeding Alberta’s prosperity, after years of the UCP making these same arguments. Danielle Smith wanted to leverage western alienation against the federal government, but now that the movement has evolved, she is like a sorcerer who’s lost control of her spells.
After the victory of Brexit, Meloni, and Trump (twice), the lesson that status quo establishment politics cannot defeat anti-establishment movements should be clear. And yet, the leadership of the labour movement is joining hands with establishment politicians of every stripe, and aligning against separation behind Canadian nationalism. This is dissolving the struggle of the working class into the same camp as the federal liberals, conservatives, the bosses, and every other discredited figure.
The workers of Alberta need a class based approach to fight the reactionary separatist project.
In this presentation from the 2026 Western Canadian Marxist Summer School, Laine Sheldon-Houle explains the communist position.
📖 Further reading:
The working class response to Smith’s referendum
How should socialists vote in Jason Kenney’s pointless referendum?
The Alberta Federation of Labour must prepare for a general strike
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Recorded live at in Edmonton on July 5, 2026.
