A July 21, 2026 Calgary Herald column by retired economist William D. Marriott argues Alberta should use the October referendum as leverage to negotiate a better deal within Confederation rather than pursue independence. Marriott contends Alberta can still secure meaningful reforms from Ottawa if it strengthens its negotiating position.

But Alberta has already spent decades negotiating.

Marriott himself acknowledges that Albertans have been patient through the Reform Party era and were disappointed that Stephen Harper's nearly 10 years as prime minister did not fundamentally reshape Canada's federation.

That's the central flaw in his argument.

For more than three decades, Alberta has repeatedly pursued change from within Canada.

Albertans built the Reform Party to give Western Canada a stronger voice in Ottawa. They helped elect a Conservative government that governed for nearly a decade. Alberta has consistently returned large Conservative caucuses to Parliament. Successive provincial governments have negotiated on equalization, pipelines, energy regulation and fiscal fairness.

Yet many of the issues that motivated those efforts remain.

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Since Harper left office in 2015, Ottawa has introduced measures including Bill C-69, a proposed oil and gas emissions cap, increasingly restrictive climate policies and other federal measures that Alberta argues disproportionately affect its largest industry.

Meanwhile, Alberta continues to be Canada's largest net fiscal contributor while receiving no equalization payments.

Ironically, Marriott's own column lists many of the reasons Albertans have become frustrated. He references those who remained patient through the Reform movement and those disappointed that the Harper government failed to produce the "promised-land Canada" many Western Canadians hoped for.

Marriott argues Alberta should negotiate.

Many Albertans believe that's exactly what they've been doing for the last 30 years.

The October referendum exists because a growing number of Albertans no longer believe decades of negotiation, electoral victories and promises of federal reform have produced the structural changes they were seeking.