Klein-era treasurer Jim Dinning emerged from retirement to assert his opposition to putting independence to a democratic referendum. Dinning feels the Smith government should scrap the pending referendum this fall and focus on the energy MOU.

In other words, he is counting on a potential act of good will from Mark Carney to cool the atmosphere of discontent in Alberta. It can be assumed Dinning wasn’t present when Premier Smith’s MOU garnered a hearty round of boos at the UCP AGM last November.

Dinning is still held in high regard for his work balancing the Alberta budget 31 years ago and he should be. It should also be remembered that the government he participated in ignored implementing suggested measures decades ago which may have prevented the independence movement from blossoming into what it is today.

The “Alberta Agenda” was presented to the Alberta government in 2001 by Stephen Harper, Barry Cooper, Andy Crooks, Tom Flanagan and others.

It proposed having Alberta embracing measures such as forming a provincial pension plan, and an Alberta police force along with taking over the collection of provincial income tax and taking stronger control of health-care provision. The Klein government panned it.

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Dinning’s advice is coming a generation too late.

Travis Toews is a more contemporary figure and was finance minister for the ill-fated premier Jason Kenney. He left politics shortly after losing a bid for the UCP leadership to Danielle Smith.

He has joined the Lead not Leave group which calls for the government not to hold a referendum. He feels that holding a vote would chill investment in Alberta but neglected to mention the chilling effect federal policies had on Alberta’s economy while he was finance minister.

The debate between Alberta staying within or leaving the federation is valid. There is no better way to resolve that debate than to put it to all citizens in a democratic vote.

To cork the bottle by blocking a referendum as these former politicians propose won’t resolve the unity question. It will only build tension even more. Their chance to solve the issue came and went years ago.