The Balzac Community Hall was the site of a Maverick Party town hall on July 13, when Banff-Airdrie candidate Tariq Elnaga provided attendees insight into his background and platform, before answering questions from potential voters.
According to the Maverick Party’s website, the newly formed party aims to advocate for the country’s western provinces, with a focus on securing autonomy with regard to the region’s natural resources, finances, legal proceedings, social issues and more.
“It’s a party from the west, for the west, that exclusively speaks in the voice of the west,” Elnaga said during his opening remarks.
Approximately 40 people were in attendance at the town hall, ranging from existing members of the Maverick Party to prospective voters and the party’s other candidates from various ridings.
Elnaga, who was born in the United Arab Emirates and became a Canadian citizen in 2016, said his attraction to the Maverick Party came on the wings of the disappointment he felt for the Canadian Conservative Party (CPC), of whom he was previously a supporter. The Maverick Party was formed in 2020, on the back of the #Wexit movement that emerged following the federal election in 2019.
“I bought a membership into the CPC because I thought that was the party that stood up for the west, stood up for the industry,” he told the crowd.
Elnaga went on to explain the dissatisfaction he had for CPC Leader Erin O’Toole when it came to policy decisions. Extreme points of contention, he said, were the cancellation of the Energy East pipeline project – a 4,500-kilometre pipeline that was set to carry 1.1 million barrels of oil per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to eastern refineries – as well as the introduction of a federal carbon tax and support for Bill C-69 – a piece of legislation designed to overhaul federal oversight over pipeline projects.
“The difference between [the Maverick Party] and the CPC is that we do not answer to a Quebec or an Ontario government, we do not answer to a Quebec or Ontario voter, we answer exclusively to one voter and that is you, the western Canadian voter,” Elnaga said.
Elnaga’s political frustrations ultimately manifested into a tweet he posted, in which he expressed his desire for change. He said his decision to enter politics came after the post went viral.
“I had about 150 followers on Twitter and that tweet was seen over 45,000 times,” he recalled.
Following the social media blitz, Elnaga was introduced to the Maverick Party, for which, he says he eventually filled out extensive paperwork for his candidacy in Banff-Airdrie.
He is also an engineer by trade, the owner of a ranch business and an HR consulting practice, as well as a string of horses that he enjoys training and roping.
When asked by an attendee about his priorities if he were to be elected, Elnaga explained there are both short-term and long-term goals at the forefront of his platform.
“As soon as we send Mavericks to Ottawa, they will push legislative and constitutional change that brings independence and autonomy of government and the managing of our own affairs back to the west,” he said.
With that, Elnaga said that if the pressure put on by the Mavericks in parliament is not sufficient, the long-term goal of the party would be to file a motion of separation for western Canada.
“[Separation] will not happen because the Maverick Party said so, it will happen because the western voters said so,” he said.
Attendees had numerous questions for the candidate on the notion of separation, including what the plan would be to negotiate with and inform Indigenous peoples of the decision, how national security would be arranged, what currency would be used and how immigration would be handled, along with education, health care, relations with the United Nations and more.
Elnaga thanked each person for their inquiry before proceeding to outline the party’s stances on such matters.
He went on to describe his own values and how they coincide with the pro-business, pro-resource, pro-small government, low-taxation policies of his party.
“I want a prosperous west, I want a west where we’re unapologetic about growth and development,” Elnaga said, “Where we’re unapologetic about westerners growing their families, growing their resources and having their own income to go out and enjoy.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. We’ve demonized success and ambition in favour of large government and taxation.”
Although a federal election has yet to be called, some political commentators have mused an election could occur this fall. Although possible at any time, a federal election must take place prior to Oct. 16, 2023.
