Poilievre says he's against Alberta separatism, but the province has 'legitimate grievances'

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Tuesday he’s personally opposed to Alberta independence, but understands why the result of April’s election has left some Albertans questioning the province’s future in Canada. “Albertans have a lot of legitimate grievances, let’s be blunt,” Poilievre, who grew up in Calgary, told reporters in Ottawa. Poilievre said that a decade of Liberal attacks on Alberta’s oil and gas sector have brought tensions to a boiling point, especially with Albertans still contributing disproportionately to federal programs like equalization . “I think the message to… the Liberal government is you can’t tell Alberta to just pay up and shut up.” The Liberals secured their fourth-straight mandate in April’s election, despite winning just two of Alberta’s 37 seats and 28 per cent of the province’s popular vote. Poilievre, who lost his Ottawa-area seat in the election, will be standing for byelection in the southern Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot. He’ll need to tread carefully around the topic, with one recent poll showing that a majority of right-leaning Albertans would vote ‘yes’ in a referendum to leave Canada. Poilievre said that he hopes to help bridge the divide between Ottawa and Alberta in the months to come. “I will be a unifier who works to bring all Albertans to a place where they feel that they are respected and honoured in our wonderful country,” said Poilievre. National Post rmohamed@postmedia.com

• 'Fire... meet gas': Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dismayed at Carney cabinet picks
• Rookie Calgary Liberal MP says he's ready to fight for Alberta's place in Canada

Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.