Gerald Butts

if it were a clear response to a clear question, it would set it to bed.

And I thought the point she made on your Friday show, Peter, that Lucien Bouchard has counseled against having these referendums because every time you lose, you lose something.

Let's hope they lose and lose something here.

And the something they lose is it's just not cricket to advocate for breaking up your country.

And I think...

You know, I wish we were in a world where federalist parties did not have as part of their coalition people who don't want Canada to exist.

I know that sounds like a pretty straightforward thing, but it's pretty remarkable that we've gotten to the point where there are a bunch of

interests who would like to break up the country who are governing the fourth largest province in the country and we should be thinking about that going forward and the way we scrutinize how people come to power and how the nuts and bolts of party construction happens in this country because it's kind of you know it's a very strange situation we're in here

And I'd say, sorry, Peter, and what happens to the federal parties in Alberta over this is going to be really consequential too, right?

I think you'd expect me to say this, but I think one of the most articulate pro-Canada spokespeople has been Corey Hogan, right?

I think he's been terrific on this topic and he's reached out across the aisle, as the Americans say, to speak to do events with Jason Kenney and people from the other side.

And I like to think, James, that in a small part, small way, we try and do this on this podcast.

This is a cautionary tale.

And if it's to be a story.

uh a positive in the grand scheme of our history it's that we should not let what happened to the united states happen to us you know let's not get tribal about our politics let's all agree that um we have a country that we're proud of and needs improvement we may approach that improvement from different ways but at the end of the day we're all canadians and we work together to build a better country no matter who happens to be in office at whatever period of time in our history and

I think the dynamic that those who would break up the country are counting on is that they can recreate the poisonous political tribal divisive dynamic that has happened and has taken hold and has come to define American politics for the better part of this century, frankly.

And hopefully this is an air clearing like a...

late afternoon thunderstorm in Georgian Bay, Peter, and afterwards the air is sparkling and we realize how lucky we have it.

I agree with everything James said.

I did not stop being a proud Canadian for the decade that Stephen Harper was Prime Minister.