Opinion columnist Colby Cosh criticizes Alberta's NDP leader Naheed Nenshi for requesting to postpone a referendum on separation due to the US-Canada trade war. From a strategic standpoint, Cosh argues that the trade war is actually beneficial to the federalist side of the referendum and would likely hinder the separatist cause. The article notes that the median U.S. voter "half-agrees with Trump" or views his anti-Canadian rhetoric as "cheeky posturing," suggesting that Canada's interests may not be well-represented in a potential trade war scenario. Cosh suggests that Nenshi is "completely fumbling the trade war" by using it as an excuse to postpone the referendum.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The Canadian Press’s Dayne Patterson reports Wednesday morning that Alberta’s floundering opposition leader, Naheed Nenshi, is demanding that Alberta’s consultative October referendum on separation be postponed … because of the developing U.S.-Canada trade war.
asserted
referendum → report → war
If you’re busy today, just picture me laughing and saying “Whaaa?” for a few seconds and then move on in good conscience.
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me → ’re → conscience
NDP Leader Nenshi never wanted to have a referendum in the first place, so one supposes any excuse for such a demand will do; maybe next week he’ll want the vote called off because of a comet or other celestial portent.
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vote → want → comet
I wasn’t keen on a nebulous separation referendum myself, but it seems to me the thing to do in the face of an electoral test is to go cast a ballot, advocate for a position, try your best to have your side win, etc., etc.
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side → seem → best
All that good democracy stuff, which I do understand to not be the historical strong suit of the Alberta New Democrats.
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I → understand → Democrats
It seems to me that from a purely strategic standpoint, the trade war is a giant expensive gift to the federalist side of the referendum, which shouldn’t have any trouble winning no matter what happens.
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what → seem → trouble
The separatist cause in Alberta is fragmented, and contains some radical libertarians who would genuinely like an independent (but landlocked) microstate managed on Javier Milei principles; others are pure scoundrels who pretty obviously see the separation fantasy as a first step toward political union with the culturally superior States.
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who → fragment → States
Whichever future you might imagine in contemplating secession, it involves giving the U.S. greater weight and negotiating power in Albertan affairs — and the more conservative or classical-liberal you are, the uglier the spectacle of the trade war really is.
uncertain
spectacle → imagine → war
One of my political axioms is that trade is a substitute for war, and that maximizing trade serves practically as a substitute for it.
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maximizing → maximize → it
The United States’ scores on quasi-objective indices of economic and political freedom are spiralling, and its Constitution is being subjected to naked violence.
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Constitution → spiral → violence
And our instinctive feelings of kinship with the American people are suffering new injuries every day.
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feelings → suffer → injuries
Most Americans are perhaps confused or even annoyed to find that the president they have elected twice regards Canada as an illegitimate, conniving rogue state, but we are learning the hard truth that this attitude doesn’t truly traumatize or upset them.
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attitude → confuse → them
The median U.S. voter half-agrees with Trump, or is willing to dismiss his territorial belligerence as ironic, cheeky posturing.
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voter → agree → posturing
No doubt one day the Stars and Stripes really will fly everywhere under heaven, and beyond.
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Stars → fly → heaven
Trump’s not really wrong, you see, just impolitely early.
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you → ’ → ?
In time, Canada and the U.S. may become the friendly continental yokemates they once were; and at that very time there might be a serious danger in the existence of an Alberta “separatist” movement full of republican closet cases.
uncertain
they → become → cases
For now, separatists seem to me to be facing maximum headwinds.
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separatists → seem → headwinds
The biggest star in the separatist movement is facing extremely vexing legal troubles.
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star → face → troubles
The Albertan Liberal prime minister’s approval ratings appear to net out to about zero in Alberta these days, which is a remarkable, even historic phenomenon.
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which → appear → Alberta
And, sure, there’s always the conspiracy theory that Ottawa will blast Alberta with export taxes on oil as soon as the separation vote is past, but it’s not 1980 anymore: Saskatchewan’s oil and gas production has flourished, making our neighbour more of a fellow hostage, and Newfoundland’s economy is now just as oil-dependent as Alberta’s, so it’s politically not as easy to single Alberta out to suffer the blows in the front rank of a trade war.
National Post
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it → ’ → war
