Article content

Dave Bjorkman is convinced there’s an Albertan appetite for separation from Canada, no matter what the polls say, and he’s banking on a new party to see it happen.

Bjorkman is interim leader of the Alberta Independence Party which — as you might guess from the name — has at its core a promise of a referendum to ditch Confederation.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Insisting on independence: Party seeks official status, wants to leave Canada Back to video

The fact Alberta is landlocked doesn’t deter the Peace River-born Bjorkman. The UN Convention on Transit Trade of Landlocked States will take care of that, he said Wednesday, by forcing Canada to let Alberta’s goods to market.

Bjorkman regularly slams Ottawa when speaking about his party’s policies, insisting the province needs to “take back $40 billion in equalization and transfer payments.”

His party’s platform also includes ending the carbon tax, establishing an Alberta police force and allowing First Nation self-governance within an Alberta nation.

Bjorkman’s Twitter account is dominated by United States content — retweets supporting U.S. President Donald Trump, guns, conservatism and the Mexico border wall, and opposing Democrats, Liberals, abortion and socialism.