Rex Murphy: How Alberta and Quebec are treated differently? - National Post

• Alberta signed the Canadian Constitution. Quebec did not sign the Canadian Constitution.

• Quebec believes it can amend the Constitution even if it affects other provinces. Alberta accepts that it can’t.

• Quebec can import oil from Saudi Arabia. Alberta can export oil from Canada only with great difficulty.

• Quebec is a recipient of federal equalization money. Alberta is a giver of federal equalization money.

• In Quebec the federal government does all it can to help that province’s economy. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. (See SNC-Lavalin.) In Alberta the ... federal government is to shut down the province’s largest industry, and until that is accomplished, to box in its resources and carbon-tax the living daylights out of them.

• Quebec regularly sends a band of separatist politicians to the national Parliament. Alberta hasn’t started doing that. Yet.

• ... Quebec is a nation. Alberta is a province (so far).

Now Rex highlights the nuance of how they are treated differently with this stark example:

Quebec can and has reassigned a teacher for wearing a hijab. It has created quite a storm because this action is seen as discrimination on the grounds of religion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wishes to remain out of this battle, off the field, a spectator.

On this differential, here are the prime minister’s words: While he is “deeply” opposed to Bill 21, his government “won’t step into the legal challenge taking place in Quebec in order to avoid triggering a fight with the province over jurisdiction.”

Alberta reassigns a teacher for wearing a hijab.

Trudeau calls in the army, every human rights commission in the country, appeals to the UN, launches a countrywide tour to condemn the “anti-Islamic tactic,” and pleads with the International Court at the Hague to intervene.

(Still speculative, but pretty sure the following are the words he would say.)

The prime minister says he is “deeply” opposed to Alberta’s Bill 21, that this action cannot not take place “in the Canada I lead, and where all Canadians agree with me that diversity is our greatest strength.”

His government will be leading the legal challenge taking place “to trigger a fight with Alberta over this entirely regressive and shameful action.”

Read the full National Post article Here.