Airdrie Landowners Task Force Stake holders Meeting

[ASRG]

First of all I am not going to beat up on the ABP.......and it wasn't me who made the statement that the ABP does not represent me at the Task force meeting in Airdrie.
I will admit I am not a great fan of the ABP......and I'd better leave it at that!
The point I am trying to get across here is that real grassroots type landowners have pretty well had a bellyful of this government running all over our property rights.....and it isn't helpful when one group represents itself as "the voice of ALL cattle producers within the province".......when in fact that is clearly not the case?
The Alberta Cattle Feeders? The Western Stockgrowers? The Grazing Lease holders?
Who are these guys?
It is our desire the ABP, builds bridges with their fellow cattle producers....rather than snuggle up to the government and their bosses?

[ASRG]

grassfarmer: Please keep me informed on the possibility of a Pembina/ Warburg meeting? I am a member of that group and if you can indicate it is a possibility I wiil be in contact with Karl as soon as possible?
Incidently we have drafted a memo to Diana McQueen expressing our dismay that there will be no public meetings on the southern eastern slopes! In conjunction with our "friends" in that area......we will be issuing a press release if meetings are denied!
If we are going to have an authentic discussion on property rights....everyone has to be at the table? If Evan Berger is embarassed....it is a small price to pay for a real excercise in democratic rights?

[farmers_son]

I think there is a point to be made that while CAPP represents the entire oil and gas sector, agriculture and even more specifically cattle are completely divided and does not speak before government with one voice. No other industry would tolerate that. It leaves agriculture weak, divided, ineffective. When countless groups go before government saying listen to me frankly government is left free to listen to who ever government chooses.

Influencing government is not as easy as getting on your high horse and riding off to do battle. You would be surprised how few people, ministers or not, are impressed by being embarrassed or belittled.

And is anyone considering the possibility that this entire process is a farce and government will do what it darn well pleases. Or that this is not about agriculture or that government does not give a damn about what we think. I think producers angst is best directed towards government in this case and not towards each other. If these bills go ahead unchanged it is not because this group said this or that group said that. It is because government never intended to listen anyway.

[per]

I'm not in much of an argumentative mood lately where Beef industry groups are concerned. Either we agree on things or not and where we agree we go forward together. Certainly the group I represent the WSGA has given any takers information on this issue and made an effort with cooperating with the ABP.

CAPP and CAPL were both at the Nisku meeting and for sure were not on the same page on everything there. That is why there are different organizations in every industry including several more I know of in the Oil and Gas Sector. That will always be a reality.

For sure f_s we have considered the likely possibility that this is a PR exercise. As you know though, if we don't step up to the plate we will not get anywhere with these bills. Better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all. At least for me.

[forage]

"more specifically cattle are completely divided and does not speak before government with one voice. No other industry would tolerate that. It leaves agriculture weak, divided, ineffective. When countless groups go before government saying listen to me frankly government is left free to listen to who ever government chooses." f_s this is exactly what I am talking about, countless groups are voicing there concerns on property rights and these recent bills that have totally removed them ,then to have ABP one of largest groups stand up and destroy ever thing the many smaller groups have been lobbying for is not acceptable. I firmly believe that is why we are left with more and more people asking for their refund back because they see ABP is in self destruct mose.

[grassfarmer]

I think the ABP suffers because of the SRM removal issue. They seem to lack spine, brains or guts.
But seriously it's a problem when "commodity groups" are linked to the Government by virtue of being on the payroll. As far as I'm concerned once you start getting substantial Government funding your have just lost your political voice. You become impotent.
I raised that over on the commodity forum re the Alberta Barley Growers - a group with 130 members that receives well over $300,000 a year from Government. How can you be anything other than a mouthpiece for Government ideology when you are funded in this manner?

[grassfarmer]

ASRG, I called someone tonight who is involved with the Warburg group. It looks like the Gov. side would not be drawn to Warburg, they also tried to get them to Lakedell with no success. So I don't think there is going to be a meeting in that area and it appears to be an avoidance issue.

[ASRG]

The ABP is taking a stance that supposedly they believe in? When a government out and out expropriates private property without compensation or due process, like they did with Bill 24....most people would have a problem with that? One has to wonder how the ABP thinks so differently?
When the government brought in the first land grab bill (bill 19), our group started the ball rolling at Innisfail. The ABP was busy cheerleading the government and clapping them on the back! Two years later Bill 19 was gutted....almost everything we pointed out as being wrong was changed. Four months before Bill 19 was changed Evan Berger and Ted Morton were trotting around the country saying it was the best thing since sliced bread!
We fully realize this Task Force is probably nothing more than a pre-election scheme. We hope Premier Redford is sincere when she states she wants change? We have talked to her personally before the leadership vote and she certainly understands Bill 24 isn't going away and she knows if there aren't changes, there will be a legal challenge.....we made that very clear.
The legal advice we are getting is there is a case to get Bill 24 overthrown...maybe....very costly and a risk! The lawyers exact words "a political solution would be better".
Redford isn't some kind of dummie. She knows the Wildrose is knocking on the door and she knows landowners want some changes or they will walk?
If we fill those buildings for the public meetings with angry landowners, she will get the message loud and clear!
If no one shows up...or the ABP types stand there and fawn all over Berger and kiss his butt......nothing will change....well I shouldn't say that...... maybe the government will reinstate the check off for their pals!

[littledoggie]

The gov't meetings have been scheduled on some of the same dates as Keith Wilson's meetings. Which meeting does a person go to? The gov't meeting where we will not be heard anyways, or to Keith's meeting where numbers could speak volumes.

[per]

Same towns at the same time?