Coalition plan raises dismay, frustration in Alberta

Frustration and anger filled the airwaves across Alberta, the heart of Conservative country, as people dismayed at a potential coalition government burned up the lines to call-in radio shows.

"I think it's going to be dire for the whole of western Canada," said Pat from Calgary on CBC Radio's Wildrose Country on Tuesday.

"We had an election. The people said very clearly we do not want [Stéphane] Dion, we do not want Layton, and now they're acting like we're some banana republic," said Bertha from Edmonton. "They're just going to overthrow what the people said. I think it's a real slap in the face to the people of Alberta."

Triggered by the Conservatives' failed financial statement, the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois forged a coalition on Monday that hopes to defeat Stephen Harper's minority government in a confidence vote next week.

The show's guest, Roger Gibbins, head of the Canada West Foundation, a public policy think-tank, said a coalition government would not offer Alberta effective representation.

"We would see a much more aggressive greenhouse gas campaign by the federal government. Senate reform … would be absolutely dead, dead for a generation," he said.

"The Conservatives were going to bring in legislation to provide representation by population for Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. That would die as well as the Bloc would not support it."

On his Calgary-based radio show, bombastic host Dave Rutherford called on listeners to fight "the gang of three who want to take over power in Canada."

"The coalition is not a coalition — it's a coup," said caller Paul.

"Those eastern politicians want us out," added Dave.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said the situation has enraged people in the province.

"Clearly in the years that I served in the [Alberta legislature], I don't know if there was another issue that has drawn such an angry response from Albertans," he said Tuesday.

He favours adjourning Parliament until the new year to allow a first ministers meeting on the economy, followed by a federal budget.

"Just asking a need for a timeout in Ottawa, so the prime minister and the premiers can formulate a comprehensive national strategy to deal with the economic situation," he said.

The premier said he understands the frustration leading some Albertans to favour a western separation movement if a coalition government takes power, but said he does not support the idea.

Albertan creates online anti-coalition petition

An online petition started Monday afternoon by Greg Douglas in Sherwood Park, Alta., drew more than 27,000 electronic signatures in 24 hours.

"We, as the Canadian electorate, feel that the coalition that has now formed, consisting of the leaders of the Bloc Quebecios, the NDP and the Liberal party do not effectively represent me as a Canadian," read the petition.

"We respectfully request that we are given our right to democratic process and support an election rather than an appointment of this coalition into a position of power."

Former Conservative MP Harvie Andre acknowledged Harper made some mistakes with the financial statement, but said the prime minister has relented so the other parties should back down too.

"If we are in the economic crisis that the … opposition parties talk about, then this is exactly the worst time to be planning a coup and planning a government where the separatist party has the veto," he said in Calgary.

Calgary Ald. Ric McIver is organizing a rally at city hall on Saturday at 11 a.m. to gauge how strongly people feel about the Ottawa crisis.

"A rally is a good public way to demonstrate that it's not four, or five, or 10 voices in the wilderness, but a lot of Calgarians, a lot of Canadians that are all delivering the same message — get to work.

"The message here for the rally isn't as much who's to blame. It's about all of you [politicians]," he said. "There's no good guys here right now."

Linda Duncan, the only non-Conservative to win a seat in Alberta during the fall federal election, said her NDP office has received a flood of abusive calls.

The member for Edmonton-Strathcona defended the coalition for exercising members' rights within a parliamentary democracy.