How It is Done

[coppertop]

Agreed,grassfarmer, but unfortunately in both provincial and federal politics the opposition of the day seem intent on wasting time battling over foolish issues and not the ones that cause the most concern to the public. EG: the issue with the Stelmach campaign receiving funds from the Beaver County Waste Authority. The Liberals raised hell about it when, in fact, they had solicited funds from the same agency.Most of what opposition parties do is based on political gain for their own fortunes, not for the good of the citizens of the country.

Every government has room for improvement, and they guage their performance by the climate of the public, not by the ranting of opposition members in the legislature or media.

Apathy is what elects governments from municipal to federal. Those who believe in a certain candidate or party get out and vote and the rest stay home and complain for the entire term of office for their representatives. This holds true for commodity groups within the agriculture industry as well. ABP zone meetings are a prime example.

[grassfarmer]

I would disagree with the last post as it indicates there is only one party that is right in all it's policies and this is why it is so far ahead in the polls. In reality there is very little difference between Liberal and PC, governing is no longer done by politicians anyway it's done by back room boys who don't necessarily change when the party in power does. The best thing for voters in this province would be if the liberals were within 5 points of the conservatives in the polls. It would keep them both honest and working.

Nonsense like this EUB spies scandal at Rimbey would not happen if you had an opposition - Government could not afford to take arrogant, suicidal risks like this if it were a proper working democracy.

[coppertop]

From where I sit watching things unfold with the province, I honestly feel they have more to fear by the AEUB issue than the whining of Calgarians. Rural Alberta is fed to the teeth with the arrogance of the AEUB, and this latest fiasco has just given rise to some major discontent with the organization and a complete lack of trust in their fairness.
Obviously an organization in crisis, without leadership, which to me is much more serious than a few spoiled brats in Calgary.

I don't think I made any statement in my previous post which would allude to the fact there was only one party to choose from. In Alberta at this time, I cannot see the Liberals or NDP having a chance to get elected, in fact I think the Liberals may lose seats in Edmonton next time round. The polls show the PC support up 12% in Edmonton and 2% in rural Alberta, and down 12% in Calgary.

Heck, maybe Calgary will pull a Quebec and want to separate......LOL

[cakadu]

At the risk of sounding ill-informed, or lacking time to listen to the news etc., what happened at Rimbey? Are you referring to the whole thing with AltaLink, or did something else happen?

I agree with you grassfarmer in that the two major parties at the federal level, and to a lesser degree at the Alberta provincial level, are not all that different. Certainly not as different as you find in other countries. Otherwise how could Mr. Harper take old Liberal policies and recycle them as his own?

Incidentally, how do you feel about Mr. Blair stepping down? Don't know too much about the other fellow that has been appointed as his successor.

[grassfarmer]

Cakadu, I was referring to the EUB spying scandal at Rimbey. If you read this from the Edmonton Journal http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/cityplus_alberta/story.html?id=779f2577-d5c1-4121-bc67-02bf23db3fed you will see that Premier Stelmach stands behind the EUB and their right to spy. Well I guess he has to as they are all in it together afterall. And to think redneck Alberta would tolerate such "commie" activities.

As for the UK situation I'm glad to see Blair gone, he is nothing more than a slick dick little conman who has ruled through his use of media management (spin doctors), photo ops and carefully crafted soundbites. His successor, Gordon Brown on the other hand is an able and honest man, a dour Scot though and that isn't going down too well in England - what with Scotland having their own devolved parliament and then the leader of the London parliament also being a Scot. Blair also claimed to be Scottish but with an accent like that I don't think so.

[coppertop]

grassfarmer, I read the Premier's comments and was concerned. I feel that he had not beem properly briefed on the issue, as he seemed to feel that the PI's were necessary to thwart any sort of uprising, but in fact, from what I am told there were security guards at the hearings in Rimbey so there should have been no need for PI's. To go a step further, if anyone felt threatened in any way why didn't the AEUB have RCMP present.

I think the entire AltaLink application should be re-heard, and if the group that opposes it takes this to Queen's Bench it would not surprise me if that is what they direct the AEUB to do.

The local paper has an excellent editorial today about the entire issue, it includes a comment which is most appropriate. ' The intervenors did not go looking for trouble, it came to them in the form of power lines they do not want on their property'.

One person that I know who is part of a intervenor group has two power lines on his property already and does not feel he owes Albertan's the ability to have another one cross his land.

[grassfarmer]

The joke around here is that if Altalink are successfully blocked and the lights go out on us all it won't be because Calgary has overloaded the system, rather the Governmental paper shredders will over load the system trying to cover their tracks.

[coppertop]

According to my acquaintance who is part of one intervening group, there have been issues on both sides of the hearing. He feels that some of the intervenors have caused more harm than good with some of their antics, and that combined with the way the hearing has been run certainly hasn't done anyone any favors.

When the Glacier Power decision went against the company, they regrouped and it is my understanding that they have dealt with the issues of intervenors and have another application in. Alta Link is a different matter, when the power lines across private land sterilize that land for future development as well as cause safety concerns.

I certainly would not want one across my property. I have pipelines here and they also sterlize property for development but at least I don't have to look at the damn things.

[coppertop]

sorry for the second post but if the line is necessary to provide power for Calgary that is one issue, however, if it is being proposed in order to sell power to the US, that is an entirely different matter.

[grassfarmer]

The extra power for Calgary argument is all a big hoax, this is about liquidating a pile of coal as fast as possible and selling it to the Americans. It seems to be the clear policy of the Alberta Government to asset strip the province of it's resources whether they be mineral, water, agricultural or human resources with not a second thought given to the environmental or societal damage done in the process.

A clear expression of that is shown in the "water for life" strategy where ground water gets mentioned only once.

Another expression of it is in the Water Conservation and Allocation Guideline for Oilfield Injection where a stated objective under Water Conservation is "to minimize the use of non-saline (fresh) water WHILE LIMITING THE STRANDING OF OIL RESOURCES"