"It's not a last straw if we see these policies continue for the next four years, but it's getting down the last few straws for people who are just really, really fed up."
Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall feels another Liberal win in the current Canadian federal election could lead to a rise in western alienation.
"If the majority in the House of Commons is not a party that believes in the things that we do out west to make a living and wants to facilitate those things," Wall said. "Then you're going to have people increasingly alienated."
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his plan to resign in January, Wall told Swift Current Online he had some concerns.
"I'm a bit conflicted because yesterday was a better day for the Liberal Party of Canada than they've had in a long while," Wall said in January. "They have a long way to go to come back if they can at all, but they couldn't possibly begin to dig out of the hole they're in unless Trudeau quit."
Since that time the Liberals named a new leader in Mark Carney and in a political environment that includes a trade war with the United States, polls suggest a much closer race than they once did.
Other than the removal of the consumer Carbon Tax, but a continuation of carbon pricing for industry, Wall doesn't see much difference between Carney and Trudeau when it comes to issues that matter to the western Canadian economy.
"All of this points to more of the same in terms of policies over the last decade that really have not been very helpful to Western Canada," Wall said. "It's really an important election for the country and specifically for Western Canada. I think it's the most important election in my lifetime actually from the perspective of the interests of western Canada, our economy, and how we make a living."
The Swift Current native believes Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's policies would be far more beneficial for the western economy.
"He's been pretty clear on things like Bill C69, that new environmental impact assessment process that is just definitionally, not good for Western Canadian industries," Wall noted. "He's been very clear on that, very clear on the carbon tax period, not just replacing the consumer with hidden.
"The other thing I haven't mentioned yet is that Mister Carney appears to favor tariffing or taxing imports to the country from countries that don't have a price on carbon. My understanding is Poilievre is not in favor of that either. There's just a long list of things that I think comment Mr. Poilievre's platform for I think it's in the interest of Canada, but specifically the interest of our economy here out west."
When asked if there is any result other than a Conservative win that could prevent further western alienation, Wall pointed to a significant hypothetical.
"If the Liberal government happened to win a fourth term and they moved away from these policies we've talked about," Wall said. "There seems to be no evidence they're going to do that when it comes to the emissions cap, when it comes to fossil fuel engines being banned, when it comes Bill C69... if for some reason they had some Damascus road conversion between now and when they might win the next election and say no, we're not going to do those things they're not right for the west and the country as a whole, that would probably alleviate western alienation. There just is no evidence of that right now."
Canada goes to the polls on April 28th.