Task Force Meeting in Grimshaw

[grassfarmer]

Well I'm back from Rocky and despite it being a
flashy, lavish production I can't help but think it was
all very plastic, very fake. Probably 80-100 people
with goodness knows how many Government types
and facilitators and a handful of MLAs. So the
strategy was to split the crowd in 4 groups each
with a facilitator and a person to write our
comments on a big sheet of paper. Our note writer
couldn't spell simple words so that wasn't too
encouraging. With hired facilitators who were at
pains to point out they were not part of the
Government so it created the appearance that what
we were telling them was new, that they hadn't
heard it before. All the time the MLAs and other
Government "agents" are skulking around on the
perimeters of the groups doing "extra listening".
Our group certainly told them in no uncertain terms
that these bills are unacceptable and must be
repealed ASAP.
All very nice, all very polite but at the end of the day
I don't think that expressing our views in this format
will bring about a fundamental change in
Government policy. Lets face it this exercise was
more about boosting the PC ratings in the polls
ahead of an election than protecting property
owners rights.

[ASRG]

I would concur with what Ian said. Mostly a PR stunt.
Olds wasn't much different. A bigger crowd, maybe a bit more rowdy.
The message that came out of both these meetings was:
REPEAL the four land bills...before an election....or we won't be voting for you!

[grassfarmer]

A friend commented to me after the meeting how
this was "kindergarten democracy" highlighting how
far democracy has slipped in this province. The idea
that Government would go out on a fake listening
tour after the fact and ask for citizen input.
Shouldn't the debates be held in the house (the
legislature) between the various politicians and
good law be drawn up based on the consensus of
the peoples representatives - the MLAs?
Instead we have a government that cancels sittings
of the house, and never really permits much of a
discussion anyway. Smacks of a dictatorship to me.

[forage]

I attended the Old's Task FARCE and I was impressed by the turn out. The session was delayed for a substantial amount of time as the line up of pickup trucks in the parking lot that couldn't find parking and the line up at the door to sign in. Our group was herded into the cattle pavillon as there was standing room only in the room the government had set up. I think they began to realize just how pissed off the rural community was before they even began the FARCE.
The main message I heard was "Repeal all the Bills and do it before the election. I was suprised just how many people stated they have lost all "trust" in this government and no matter what they do now to correct their own mistakes by removing propery rights well not result in votes for them.
All the MLA's present voted for this legislation now they are putting their tail between their legs and trying to convince the public they are listening now, must be an election looming. I don't know how many times I heard from the public this is just a pre election strategy to smooth over the rural vote but it won't work.
There was a farmer there with ASRG on his name tag, was that you ASRG, you had some real interesting comments in our group espically the billions of dollars been spent on CO2 capture and future liabilities we are going to be faced with after the companies reap all the profits and to matters even worst the the taxpayer of Alberta flipped the bill . I believe there is a old saying "take the money and run." I agree Bill 24 must be the first to go.

[ASRG]

No that wasn't me. That was the president of our group....I'm the secretary. I was in a group inside the foyer.....hammering out the same message!
I noticed the ABP administrator was there, but never heard if he spoke up? I saw him snuggled up to Evan Berger after the meeting was over!

[forage]

I wanted to connect with your group but the driver of the group had to back home early to meet a insurance adjuster due to the recent fires. Maybe next time . I intend to go to Lethbridge and make sure hear the truth about Bill 24. Read your post on asrg website re Johnson comments the government feels there is a lot of misunderstanding around these bills. Maybe he thinks we are just a bunch of dumb old country hicks. I can read but not very good at typing.

[per]

Forage, I'll be in Lethbridge, wouldn't mind meeting you. I can't offer a ride as I will be staying over night and then to Medicine Hat for a meeting the next morning.

[forage]

Thanks Per The ride is not the problem just taking the time away from the farm is . What bothers me the most is the fact that all the government boys and the staff are paid to be at these Task Farce meeting and the average Joe who providing all the input is on his own to fight for his rights that the very people who are listening took away. I never really have had the time to get involved before as I have to work out to make the mortage payments and pay the equipment,livestock loans. But be rest assurd I will be making the time as I feel this maybe our last chance to restore our rights to own property and protect my kids future . If we destroy the rural communities rights in this province as a result of the last invasion by these four bills there won't be voice in the future. I come from a 5th generation ranching family in Alberta and I am deadly afraid of what is coming down the tubes next from this same bunch of listeners. I have had long sit down talks with my father about what is happening and how we can "come together" as a quote from ASRG . And by the way my grandfather was one of founding ABP organizers and he is probably rolling over in his grave if he knew their position on this bills.
I know I am ranting to the converted but if we don't get the results we are asking for now ,then as Dad said the forty years of power is over just like the Social Credit.
Hope to connect in Lethbridge, sure wish some of ASRG that were at Olds could be there, they called a spade a spade and didn't dance around kiss ass like the adm from APB

[ASRG]

forage: you do my heart a lot of good, that there are younger people who get it!
I have never been shy to let people know who I am.......or how I think!.......I'm usually the biggest mouth at the party!!!
My name is Douglas Malsbury. I live just east of Penhold, Alberta (I'm 100% cow and grain) and my people came here in 1903. Live on the original place.
The reason I got involved in property rights issues was simple.....why were we, the people who settled this bloody place, being treated like garbage! Why did some foreign corporations have more say over our property than us?
Somewhere, along the line, the government lost their focus of who really matters, and it is my belief they need to get a wake up call of who owns this damned province?
It isn't Encana. It isn't Apache. It isn't the "flavor of the day" oil company
....it is guys like you and me!
How come when there are $ Billions, if not $ Trillions of dollars of oil and gas beiong pumped out of the ground every year, we the landowners are recieving peanuts? This is our GD property and we get a pittance? What is with that?
That isn't right.......you know it....I know it?
It is time we said "ENOUGH"! No more screwing us. Time to start taking back what is ours!
Email me....albertasurfacerights@gmail.com

[Kathy]

May I suggest that at the beginning of these meetings (to come yet) that a vote be taken by the crowd as to how "they" want the meeting to be conducted.... ie: open forum for all versus the divide and conquer method being imposed upon these meetings. Just an idea.


Secondly, there are some really excellent comments on this very same situation from the American perspective (yet it applies everywhere)... which I found at the website:
www.crossroad.to/Quotes/globalism/agenda-21.htm
The heading is "Agenda 21 & the United Nations" excerpts from a book by Henry Lamb, executive vice president of "The Environmental Conservation Organization Inc."

Here are a few excerpts that I find very educational for the public in general:

a quote from the UN Conference on Human Settlements in 1976 - "Land...cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interests of society as a whole. Public control of land use is therefore indispensable...."

and check out these policy recommendations - "Recommendation D.1

(a) Public ownership or effective control of land in the public interest is the single most important means of...achieving a more equitable distribution of the benefits of development whilst assuring that environmental impacts are considered.

(b) Land is a scarce resource whose management should be subject to public surveillance or control in the interest of the nation.

(d) Governments must maintain full jurisdiction and exercise complete sovereignty over such land with a view to freely planning development of human settlements...."

from the "Wildlands project" description for biodiversity and how to protect nature - ""...that at least half of the land area of the 48 conterminous states should be encompassed in core reserves and inner corridor zones (essentially extensions of core reserves) within the next few decades.... Nonetheless, half of a region in wilderness is a reasonable guess of what it will take to restore viable populations of large carnivores and natural disturbance regimes, assuming that most of the other 50 percent is managed intelligently as buffer zones. Eventually, a wilderness network would dominate a region.... with human habitations being the islands. The native ecosystem and the collective needs of non-human species must take precedence over the needs and desires of humans."

Note: native ecosystems take precedence OVER humans.

A quick read of these few pages found at the crossroads link, might help people understand where all these bills are coming from. There is an agenda and it involves removing control of our activities and our environment from the individual and/or property owner, to the government or as in the Land Stewardship Act... turning over control to non-elected "Stewardship Ministers".

All one need do is look at Greece and Italy to understand how quickly a soveriegn nation can be taken over by non-elected technocrats (corrupt bankers) who claim to be acting in the "best interest" of the public.

THERE CAN BE NO "PUBLIC GOOD" WHEN WE LIVE AS THOUGH WE ARE ALL OBEDIENT GLOBAL CITIZENS. Globalization and the newly created interdependence of trade... has created - is creating a complete lack of necessity for local, provincial, and even national governments.

Alberta is the primary area of attack against property rights and individual rights, because we are still the most vocal and well-armed populace in Canada. Should this agenda continue without forceful resistance, you might as well kiss your children's and your grandchilren's futures good-bye. Don't just tell these crazy facilitators and MLAs "No" tell them "Hell NO!"...