Danielle Smith's Love Letter to Quebec A shared focus on immigration Separatism as signals What is fair game?

Albertans aren't known to fawn over Quebec. But their premier sees an ally in seeking control over immigration. … Article written by Michael Harris.
Separatism in Canada makes for some strange bedfellows. The United Conservative Party membership in Alberta includes separatists that Premier Danielle Smith depends on for her support. She is now looking for validation from Quebec, the province that has historically been the focus for Alberta's antipathy towards Eastern Canada.
Alberta has clashed with Quebec over the environment, the development of pipeline projects, and the equalization program that benefits La Belle Province more than any other province.
But change is in the air. Earlier this month Smith travelled to Quebec City to meet Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec. The CAQ is considered a nationalist and populist conservative party with a "restrictive stance" on immigration. Much like Smith and the UCP, the CAQ believes Quebec will thrive if the federal government grants more powers to the province.
Ahead of the meeting Smith told journalists, "We often get a lot of wisdom from some of the legislation going through the Quebec legislature, which I'm watching with great interest."
The two premiers highlighted their provincial economic ties and shared desire for more autonomy within the Canadian federation. In the face of uncertainty with the United States, Canada's largest trading partner, Smith said, "the best way to support resilience is to support each other and to have more trade with each other." The two provinces currently do $29 billion in trade together.
Both leaders expressed support for a united Canada even if both have separatists or people who were separatists in their parties.
The difference is that Fréchette, unlike Smith, opposes holding another referendum in Quebec at a time of global economic uncertainty.
Premier Smith said, "I'm here to reinforce the Alberta-Quebec relationship to ensure our governments, our economies and our peoples are building strong, autonomous provinces within a united Canada."
But the unity pitch came with an important caveat. Smith said both provinces had been dealing with a federal government "that has refused to listen to our needs and ignores the constitutional rights of our provinces."
It's no accident that Smith travelled to express friendship with Coalition Avenir Québec. She flagged the unique way that Quebec controls its immigration system — via the Canada-Quebec Accord — as a model for Alberta.
Indeed, the Alberta referendum in October will include questions about provincial control over the services it provides to non-permanent residents — which has a whiff of blaming immigrants for economic problems.
Smith was also keen on an east-west energy corridor to Quebec. "Both Alberta and Quebec stand to gain so much from working together. Our economic strengths complement each other in so many ways."
She may admire, as well, how Quebec's leaders have sympathetically addressed the separatist impulse within their population without fomenting outright secession.
The Coalition Avenir Québec is a nationalist coalition party that includes federalists as well as politicians who previously supported Quebec sovereignty. It advocates for greater provincial autonomy within Canada. It was founded in 2011 to focus on the economy, health care and education. Co-founder and former leader François Legault, once a prominent supporter of separation, declared the separatist debate dead in 2016.
The separatist Parti Québécois has also highlighted plans to maintain contact with the Alberta separatist movement. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he had been open about his communications with Alberta separatists for several months.
Plamondon said he would acknowledge Alberta sovereignty if it voted to separate. There is a certain irony in that, since tax money from Alberta used for federal equalization payments is a major bone of contention in Alberta. Mea...