A recent headline revealed how under Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney, about a trillion dollars has either not been invested in Canada or has been run out of Canada because of the Liberals' obsession with taxing, blocking and stopping oil.

That is, only ethical Alberta oil. Saudi Arabia's conflict oil, well, that's still allowed to come to the Atlantic provinces — the Liberals just have this bizarre hatred for Alberta oil.

But even Pierre Trudeau, when he brought in the National Energy Program, didn't want to destroy oil and gas. He just wanted to steal the wealth.

Carney, and before him Justin Trudeau, both want to stop oil from being produced at all. More than a year into Carney's term as prime minister, there are no pipeline projects that are being contemplated — just a vague memorandum of understanding that's supposed to placate Albertans.

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In the heart of downtown Calgary, where the country's oil and gas leaders meet at the Petroleum Club, no one is planning to invest more into Canadian production. Instead, they're looking at investing in Venezuela, which was recently liberated by the United States.

Consider that for a moment: Venezuela is considered a lower-risk investment for oil and gas than Canada.

This, I think, is one of the many reasons Albertans need to have an “or else” option whenever they talk to Ottawa.

What do I mean by that? Well, we don't want the carbon tax — or else what, the federal government might ask. Taking a page from Quebec's strategy in the 80s and 90s, when they told Ottawa, give us three seats on the Supreme Court, give us control over immigration, over pensions, over police. 

The rest of the country takes notice because Quebec has a real “or else” option. And while separation could see an independent Alberta become wealthy like Monaco, even if it were to come close to leaving it would then eternally have an “or else” option of its own when negotiating with Ottawa.

Maybe then the federal government would respect Alberta, or else.