‘Canada is an inheritance’: New federal Conservative referendum lead

MP Dane Lloyd joins Alberta Primetime's Michael Higgins to discuss his appointment as the federal Conservative's referendum lead.

Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre appointed MP Dane Lloyd as the party’s Alberta referendum lead. He joined Alberta Primetime’s Michael Higgins to discuss his new role.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Your task is to make the case for a stronger Alberta within a united Canada. What does it mean to you to front the Conservative Party’s response to this Alberta referendum question on separation?

Dane Lloyd: Fundamentally, we’re patriots. We believe in our country, but I’m an Alberta Member of Parliament. For the past 10 years, we’ve had a federal government that’s put roadblocks in the way of getting our energy projects built and many other things that have been against the values of Albertans. We have to champion those values and we have to fight to get those reforms. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean we sacrifice the country.

MH: How about the importance of the role? Where do you see this ranking on the list of responsibilities that you’ve undertaken in nearly a decade as a member of parliament?

DL: When we’re talking about an issue like our country and the integrity of our country, it’s a very serious responsibility and I’m going into this role as a happy warrior. I’m here to listen to all sides. It’s not about us versus them. It’s about getting Albertans back on board, especially the Albertans who are frustrated with Confederation, mostly frustrated with an “Ottawa knows best” mentality.

When I talk to folks at the doors, they’re not frustrated with their fellow Canadians. They’re frustrated with Ottawa. How can we deal with these issues in Ottawa so that we can bring Canadians closer together?

MH: Was this a responsibility you saw coming? How prepared were you for Pierre Poilievre’s letter to land on your desk?

DL: I think one of the reasons why I was chosen is because I was elected to serve as the Alberta caucus chair. We have over 30 Conservative MPs from Alberta, it’s one of the heartlands of conservatism in this country. I was surprised, but I was honoured to take on this role. It’s a big responsibility and it’s a lot of work, but I’m happy to do it.

MH: How do you plan to convince Albertans that they need to vote to stay in Canada? What’s your message in a nutshell?

DL: My message is that Canada is an inheritance that has been given to us by the generations who came before us and we have a responsibility and a duty to pass on that inheritance to future generations. We are Canadians; it is our identity. And let’s remember the sacrifices that have been made by our ancestors to make this great country.

Does that mean there are no issues that we’re facing in this country? Absolutely there are issues. We need to deal with these issues. We need to deal with Alberta’s frustrations. The thing is, the frustrations that Albertans have are the frustrations that many Canadians across the country have. If we deal with those frustrations, we’re going to make the country stronger, not just Alberta.

MH: How tricky a trail will this be to navigate in areas of the province, even within Conservative Party ranks, where there is support for Alberta independence?

DL: I think it’s a delicate matter. I think the absolute wrong approach we can take is to try to use fear to get people to vote against this referendum. I think we need to put forward a positive message that this country can be better, that this country can be stronger, that we can deal with the issues that Albertans have a better future for our children and our grandchildren. I think bringing people together through this positive message is exactly the right approach; not a fear approach.

MH: As you pointed out a moment ago, you’re also the party’s Alberta caucus chair. How much support do you rally from federal Conservative MPs in the province as you take this on?

DL: I look at this as, I might have been given this role, but every Alberta Conservative MP and every MP across this country has a role to play in fighting for the unity of our country. Frankly, our leader Pierre Poilievre has been an absolute leader on this over the past number of months.

He’s spoken out very publicly about our love for Canada and the need to keep this country together. It’s a team effort and I have the full support of my Alberta Conservative colleagues to stand up for our country and to get a decisive result in this referendum we’re having.

MH: How do you reflect on Alberta’s efforts to work with the Carney government and turn the West Coast pipeline proposal into a reality? To what degree do you throw support behind those efforts as a means of showing Alberta remaining in Canada works?

DL: I support Premier Danielle Smith and her efforts to get a pipeline built, particularly to the West Coast. I think it’s a positive development, but why does the Alberta government have to jump through hoops that no other province is asked to jump through? We have to accept a higher industrial carbon tax. We have to accept a massive carbon capture agreement just to get a pipeline built.

This is a pipeline that’s not just going to benefit Alberta; it’s going to benefit all Canadians. The fact is we’ve had 10 years of a Liberal government that has prevented these pipelines from getting built. Now we’re finally talking about getting pipelines built, but at this point it’s just an illusion. We need to see actual substantial commitments and substantial progress from Mark Carney and this Liberal government.

MH: How are you preparing to engage with Albertans on this? Do you travel the province to spread your party’s message?

DL: Absolutely. I’m doing roundtables. We’re currently planning on many roundtables across the province. People are writing to me every day. I just had a great householder that went out. I’m getting feedback from my constituents. The feedback’s overwhelmingly in support of keeping our country gathered. Do people have frustrations? Absolutely.

We’re not here to ignore people who are separatists. We need to listen to all sides because if we ignore people and we just keep dismissing them, then we’re not going to deal with the real issues that are leading towards separation in not just Alberta, but in other provinces. Let’s have this conversation, but let’s keep this country together when we vote on Oct.19.

MH: You served as a reservist in the Canadian military, how do you see that experience ultimately shaping the narrative that you will bring to this role?

DL: I’m actually still serving as a reservist. I’m a captain in the Governor General’s Foot Guards. I’m taking a bit of leave so I can focus on the importance of this new role this fall. But I think something that the military teaches is organizational planning, having a strong mission statement, working backwards from that mission statement, and achieving tangible outcomes.

For anyone who’s listening, a military career is absolutely a stellar way to learn leadership and to get real life skills that can be helpful in all aspects of life.