Former politicians face off at lecture

By Ryan Ross

The provinces have an important role in Canada, a former Alberta premier said yesterday during the Symons lecture at the Confederation Centre.
Peter Lougheed, who served as premier for 14 years, made the remarks to the large crowd by video.
Lougheed said he never thinks of Canada as anything other than a confederation.
“Our history is a history of confederation.”
The annual Symons lecture marks the anniversary of the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation in 1864.
It was established in 2004 to provide a platform for Canadians to discuss the current state of the country and its future.
Lougheed wasn’t able to attend in person because he was recovering from a virus he picked up on a trip to Mexico.
The needs of the provinces should be kept in mind when discussing federalism, he said.
“More and more should be provided to the provinces.”
But after the Meech Lake accord Canadians got turned away from constitutional change, he said.
“There just isn’t the mood or appetite for that today.”
Former cabinet minister John Crosbie said it’s important to have a balance.
One of the problems is there are 10 provinces and three territories trying to get as much as they can for themselves, he said.
“The increasing strength of regionalism has to be resisted.”
Crosbie said we are lucky to have the United States as a peaceful neighbour but Canada also needs regular armed forces to avoid weakness.
“A nation can’t be truly sovereign if you turn your defence over to a neighbour.”
And even with close ties our federal system is different than the American one, he said.
“It was the provinces that created Canada, not the other way around