ALBERTA’S MAGNA CARTA MOMENT

Alberta’s Magna Carta moment

It has been about one month since I launched the Rural Voice Discussion Paper, a proposal for a new approach to provincial politics in Alberta.

I argued that one of the key elements of a Rural Voice party must be an abiding commitment to economic freedom. Since launching the paper, I received several questions on this topic, asking me to outline exactly what economic freedom entails. With the UCP government’s backslide on such commitments over the past two years, folks are understandably cynical on this subject. However, I believe there is no more important issue for the future of our families and communities.

Historical perspective and modern concerns

Of the many freedoms we enjoy today, one of the most important is economic freedom. We rightly believe that the individual should be the primary beneficiary of their own labour and skills, and that individuals have the right to own and use their private property. Our entire economic system is based on such core principles.

But to truly understand economic freedom, we first need to understand history and how the political freedoms we enjoy today were build on the economic freedoms first established in the Magna Carta.

And, as Rudyard Kipling wrote: 

At Runnymede, at Runnymede, oh hear the reeds at Runnymede

You musn’t sell, delay, deny, a freeman’s right or liberty.

The Magna Carta is considered one of the most important documents in world history for a reason. From the lowliest English serf to the authors of the American Declaration of Independence, it continues to inspire those who oppose tyranny and seek freedom.

The Great Charter was about ending the divine rights of monarchs and replacing it with the divine rights of individuals. Or, as our American cousins put it, “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…”

It was at Runnymede that the King first recognized the concept of private property rights. To this day, governments around the world seek to unfairly restrict this right, including here in Canada. 

In addition, at Runnymede, the king was forced to accept the idea that no individual is above the law, and the concept of due process was born. While Justin Trudeau’s recent attacks on prosecutorial independence may seem shocking by today’s standards, the barons of Runnymede were all too familiar with this kind of chicanery.

Another major change dating back to the Magna Carta was the idea that there can be no taxation without the consent of the “council of the realm.” This quickly became the real source of all power behind our Parliamentary system. Monarchs and dictators around the world despise this change more than any other. To this day there are many who game the system to allow the expenditure of tax dollars without proper transparency or accountability. As the world veers towards globalism, I believe the principle of “no taxation without representation” must be retrenched. 

Perhaps the most important right established at Runnymede was the individual’s right to engage in trade. At first, this freedom was restricted only to the lords and it took some time for the lower classes to fully realize such rights. Local lords would accept bribes to sell monopolies to the various guilds in their towns, and the guilds in turn would restrict every aspect of the trade, from worker training, to prices, to how many goods could be produced. Not only did the system gridlock the economy, but also reinforced a rigid class system that kept the peasants “in their place.”

Of course, the innate human desire for freedom resists such tyranny and eventually the peasants started producing goods outside of the towns, creating what are still known as “cottage industries.” They sold their goods in black markets located just outside of the towns, in areas known as “liberties.” These markets quickly became hot beds of activity where people could do and speak as they chose. For example, William Shakespeare’s plays were performed in theatres located in liberties. The economy flourished, prosperity was born, and with it the rigid social class structure of the day began to dissolve. In the end it was trade, not politics, that freed the peasants. 

Economic freedom for Albertans

As I have repeatedly stated over the past several years, my vision is to re-establish our province as one of the most free and prosperous jurisdictions in North America. Without a real commitment to strengthening Albertans’ economic freedoms, achieving this vision will not be possible.

In particular we need to:

• Reverse the former PC government’s attacks on property rights, and fully restore Albertans’ right to challenge any expropriation order in court;

• Formally withdraw Alberta from international agreements dictated by Ottawa that undermine provincial autonomy;

• Ban provincial governments from using taxpayer resources to pick winners and losers in the market;

• Eliminate corporate welfare, while at the same time ensuring provincial regulations do not unfairly target any sector of the economy;

• Defend and restore Alberta’s jurisdiction when it comes the resource development;

• Give Ottawa a deadline to reach a negotiated Fair Deal (equalization, stabilization, carbon taxes, Bill C-69, Bill C-48), or face firm consequences;

• If a fair deal within Confederation is not possible, provide Albertans with a referendum on succession;

Of course, these are just some current issues that must be addressed. The reason we must make a firm commitment to economic freedom is to provide Albertans with a clear indication of how we would address unforeseen issues moving forward.

One of the best ways to do so is by establishing a provincial constitution.

While most legislation and regulation put in place by governments is designed to restrict the freedoms of citizens, constitutions are one of the best ways for citizens to effectively restrict the powers of governments. A year and a half into “two weeks to flatten the curve,” you can see the need for giving citizens greater control over governments.

In addition, laws made by the Legislature can just as easily be changed or eliminated by the Legislature. Take, for example, the Klein government’s balanced budget law. It was supposed to be a game-changing victory for those who seek to constrain the size of government, but in reality government killed it four years later and went on a decade-long spending binge that has Alberta more than $100 billion in debt. The only way to effectively limit the size and scope of government over the long term is through a Constitution.

By enshrining core principles of economic freedom in a Constitution, we can prevent future governments (both federal and provincial) from using executive powers to trample Albertans’ rights, while providing entrepreneurs and employers the confidence they need to invest here.

The truth is that the days of Albertans simply trusting our Premier (any Premier) to defend our rights is over. Premier’s Kenney’s pandemic era management, frequent flip flops, and outright lies have torched any public trust he may have once enjoyed. He is a modern day King John. To move forward, folks want and deserve to see our economic freedoms fully defined in black and white, with no fine print.

In many ways, this is Alberta’s Magna Carta moment. I believe the best path forward is an abiding commitment to economic freedom. As such, a Rural Voice party is essential to championing this worthy cause.