Wilson vs Morton Report

[riders2010]

Actually when I was off of them I voted conservative! lol

[mustardman]

Hey maybe We Do need pharmacare. LOL

[grassfarmer]

Here is a blow by blow account written by Joe Anglin after last nights meeting. Apologies for the length but it supplies more detail if people are interested.

NO SALE!

P. C. Government can’t sell excuses!

On April 21st in Eckville, Minister Ted Morton and MLA Evan Berger debated property rights lawyer Keith Wilson. They debated the merits, or lack thereof, of the now controversial new laws -- commonly known as Bills 19, 24, 36, and 50.

The dispassionate 400 plus attendees that filled the hall in Eckville quietly listened to Mr. Morton and Mr. Berger’s declamations against the assertions that the Land Stewardship Act (Bill-36) harms landowners’ rights. Both claimed the intent of the legislation was to protect landowners’ rights. To illustrate their arguments, Morton and Berger projected a series of slides onto the wall titled, “Debunking 5 Myths.” The crux of their presentation can be summed up as simply a regurgitation of previous government denials. When the two MLAs finished their presentation the audience respectfully responded with a somewhat muted applause.

Keith Wilson began his presentation by respectfully disagreeing with Mr. Morton. Wilson then acknowledged that while the intent of the minister may have been admirable, the actions or outcome of passing the legislation did not match the intent. As Mr. Wilson began to explain how the legislation did not match the intent, he was heckled by Minister Dave Hancock, who happened to be seated in one of the front rows. If the crowd was dispassionate at the onset, Hancock’s hecklings sent tremors that stirred the crowd. The mood of the audience suddenly changed. It was if everyone in attendance was shaken into a state of attentiveness.

Unshaken by Hancock’s heckling, Keith Wilson being the accomplished lawyer he is, shredded Mr. Morton’s argument systematically. Piece by piece and section by section, Wilson cited case law and read out loud to the hall -- exactly what the law says and explained to the audience exactly how the law stripped Albertans of their rights.

Few in attendance remained dispassionate. Everyone could plainly see the contrast between Mr. Morton and Keith Wilson’s presentations. The presentations could not have been farther apart. While Mr. Morton remained loyal to the government’s denials; Wilson just had the audience read the section of the Act, and asked the audience to decide for themselves.

Decide for themselves they did! The tremor that Hancock’s heckling caused turned into a rumble, and when Wilson finished his presentation the hall exploded into a thundering applause and standing ovation. It was if Morton and Berger were trying to convince everyone inside the hall that the sun was shining when all, but those who suffer from delusions, could plainly see it was dark outside.

Undaunted by the audience’s sudden decision not to buy the government explanation, Morton tried to blame the Wildrose party for his failure to be convincing. The crowd grumbled, because all could see that the Wildrose party did not participate in the debate. Grasping for another excuse, Morton attacked Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson for causing the Stock Market to suddenly drop. The comment made no sense to the audience. Liberal MLA Hugh MacDonald was sitting in the audience, and I suspect if Morton had seen him too, he might have blamed MacDonald for the sun setting. However, the audience did not buy the reference to Anderson’s influence over the stock market, so the crowd began to boo! The booing grew louder when Morton ignored and refused to answer a question on Bill 50. It is safe to say the booing and heckling was not limited or mute. It was extremely loud and abundantly clear, and it was directed right at Mr. Morton and the P.C. government!

Morton came to Eckville to sell the government’s excuses in an effort to justify the ill-conceived pieces of legislation, but there were no buyers and he couldn’t give the excuses away!

What can Morton do now? Maybe – just maybe, Morton could solicit the help of Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson. Surely anyone who is reputed to have the power to move the stock market must be able to convince the public that their rights are better protected if we just remove them altogether.

[rkaiser]

Democracy in action. Awesome. Hope this makes the front page of the Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal.

[SADIE]

GF--thanks for reporting from that meeting. It keeps us current on the action on that front.

Tuesday April 19 I caught the Saskatoon -Calgary flight @ 5;30a.m.,Calary to Edmonton connector and had a rental car waiting as I drove through the new construction West of Edmonton to attend the Westlock Surface Rights Compensation Hearing as a witness for Lawyer Daryl Carter (Legal work in Peace River Area) for a group of landowners that got the CORRIDOR pipeline in their properties in 2007 & 2008. My purpose was again to introduce as evidence to the Alberta Surface RIghts Board the linear payment SAPL/MPLA ENBRIDGE settlement. Again I am not "bound by confidentiality" so that is my job. The other key negotiators with CAEPLA or AAPL are bound by confidentiality on other negotiations. Daryl Carter (Legal) was not there to Exam or Redirect---he was in Edmonton with other meetings with Keith Wilson. His junior lawyer handled me as their witness. I helped her to prep what to ask from me and helped her in the redirect when the other side tried to "Cut up and discredit my evidence". I was out of Westlock by 2:00 to barely catch my return flights home that night. Lots of snow looking down over GF, RKaiser and Calgary area.

This landowner movement is all connected now to keep all informed and reaching out to help other landowners with information.

Good report Grassy & per.