Can't he do ANYTHING without it?

I figure the only people offended by this commercial would be Islamic radicals and would-be homicide bombers. Frankly, I find it hilarious!

I should have known. Truly, I really should have seen it coming. The fact that the first honest to goodness warm spring day of the year happened to coincide with my plan to have a rare ‘kill the cabin fever’ day was perfect. Too perfect.

As the afternoon was drawing to an end, I was basking in my freedom. Windows down, tunes on full blast, rubber to the road, I aimed my Hemi north on the highway. Entering my hometown, I was looking forward to a good diner and an evening of downtime with the family.

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I could actually hear the echoes of liberty shattering as I turned the key and opened the door to my home. The mechanical tone of a ringing telephone is not unique in the Sullivan household. I share my home with two daughters, after all.

When I saw the caller I.D. list a local media outlet, I became somewhat curious. Although I am not inexperienced in dealing with journalists, usually contact follows in the wake of a controversial column or when there is a public debate on the subject of Alberta and/or Western Canadian independence.

The reporter asked my thoughts on ‘my guy’ stepping down. Attempting not to come across as a complete idiot, I asked her what she was referring to.

“Paul Hinman’s announcement that he is stepping down as leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party.” she detailed. “Haven’t you heard?”

As she went on, I checked my missed calls list and discovered an unusual amount of messages waiting on my voicemail. As it turned out, all but three were in regards to the Hinman news. Eager to find out more info, I jumped online only to find my email inbox the virtual world’s equivalent to my voicemail.

There was no doubt I was going to have to post a new article on the subject. My original intent was to create some sort of smug diatribe bringing to light my previous concerns about Hinman as leader – more than enough steak, not enough sizzle – in my usual ‘I told you so’ style I reserve for such occasions.

But my focus changed when I witnessed a troubling, frustrating, and unfortunately not surprising issue arise. The Alberta media, never one to take any political force outside of the provincial Top Three seriously, was making a mess of the news by flubbing the information in the kind of tell-tale way a journalist uses if they are reporting on a topic of little interest to them.

I learned through the MSM grapevine of some fairly stinging quotes attributed to WAP Executive Director Jane Morgan about Hinman’s leadership. I have has some interesting discussions with Morgan, and this move didn’t seem like a move that she would make.

Bingo. Morgan clarifies here how her comments by some party members were taken out of context and mistakenly attributed to her. Sloppy reporting is acceptable depending on the subject, I guess.

Ironically, the very things Morgan was accused of saying – questioning if Hinman had the ‘charisma’ to attract voters – is something I had brought up before.

The important point is this: Paul Hinman leaves the Wildrose Alliance Party arguably in better shape than when he assumed the role. In fact, I would argue that the WAP is more equipped, sturdier, and surely more experienced now than when Hinman had his seat in the Legislature.

While the media pays as little attention and token lip service in coverage of the WAP, the party must block out that garbage and focus en masse on a leadership race that could become more than just a little beneficial to the health of the party overall.

The race should invigorate the party if it’s done properly. Professionalism and common sense etiquette should be the rule. The Wildrose folks would be wise to remember the Progressive Conservatives and the damage they did with their last race for the crown with all of its backstabbing, slimy, nefarious low-handed moves.

Now, let me address my second issue. I believe that the Stelmach P.C.s are at the beginning of their end. Public confidence is starting to waver, especially as they stumble towards the political left.

Their vow never to run a deficit government is just the latest in a long list of broken promises to Albertans. Idiotic statements by government MLAs who are obviously too comfortable on that side of the Chamber, along with an increasing number of public contradictions between Premier Ed ‘Flanders’ Stelmach and his Cabinet members (a provincial sales in Alberta? Are you on crack?) are adding to areas of weakness in the Tory shield of invulnerability.

If the Wildrose Alliance Party can find the right leader and, most importantly, unite behind him or her with the purpose of building a true, credible alternative to the increasingly dreadful P.C.s, they could find themselves changing the political landscape of the province.

Let the race begin.


P.S. - While it is most flattering that so many of you have suggested that a run for the leadership should be made by Yours Truly, I can’t help but think that a leader with an unabashed pro-separatist ideology would in no way benefit the WAP against a monster like the P.C.s.

However, as the Wise Man once said: never say never…..

As we find ourselves being pulled deeper into Obama’s New Deal, conservatives across the globe are hoping for a Messiah of their own. The more Republicans I chat with, the more I hear of their desire to find ‘the next Reagan’; someone who would use patriotism and common sense to steer the country (and the free world) away from socialist abyss it is fast becoming.

Thinking that the Cult of Obama will have had their swigs of his Kool-aid by 2012, American conservatives are starting to believe what was once unthinkable: Obama could be vulnerable. Whereas Reagan came in to power and swiftly pulled the hostages out of Iran, the hope is for the Next One to come along pull the country out of the ground.

The big question is: who?

Palin? Another Bush? Someone completely new?

If you think you know who could end Obamamania in 2012, let me know. Send me an email at: leighpatrick@themoderateseparatist.com with your choice as the Next One. Put ‘The Next One’ in the subject line.

Submissions will be accepted until the last day of April. On May 1st, the top five will be listed on a poll on my website, and you will be able to vote for your favorite.

The winner will be announced on May 21st.

Watching Obama take the United States down the path to socialism is like a vivid nightmare. For non-leftwing Canadians (yes, we do exist) who have lived our entire lives in a soft-socialist nation, it feels like barely surviving a plane crash only to look up and see your best friend’s plane spiraling downward. We yell, shout, warn, but we don’t see a parachute……..Obama is now using optimistic slogans when talking about the economy, like there are ‘glimmers of hope’. I guess he thinks if he says something enough times, we will believe it. Hey, it worked in the election. Meanwhile, unemployment numbers across North America continue to skyrocket..……last word on Obama: in case you didn’t happen to get the message from my last post, Barack ol’ buddy, I’ll say it again – don’t send your Gitmo terrorist refugees to Canada. We don’t share your policy of Islamofascist appeasement…..…the Afghanistan government stuck their foot deep into the fox hole when West-friendly President Karzai signed off on a Shiite law which requires a woman to ask her husband’s permission to leave the house and…oh, right – doesn’t allow them to refuse sexual intercourse with their mates. The obvious backlash from NATO and Human Rights groups has raged, and rightfully so. While we aren’t there to dictate to the Afghan people what their future should be, our soldiers are giving their lives to free them from this kind of Taliban-style totalitarian law. Already under scrutiny for allowing Taliban and al-Qaeda advances in his country, as well as allegations of corruption in his government, the U.S. and her allies are beginning to wonder if Karzai is the right man for the job........speaking of lost confidence, Canadian conservatives have seen Prime Minister Stephen Harper almost lose an election to Liberal Stephane Dion (the weakest leader of any political party in Canadian history), pander to Quebec only to be rebuffed by the electorate, join the Cult of Bailouts with his governments own futile plan, and move his party so far to the left some are looking at new Liberal leader as ‘more conservative’ than Harper. Whispers are everywhere about ‘new leadership’…..…my beloved Calgary Flames are gearing up for the NHL playoffs. Well, not really gearing up. More like stumbling. It can’t be a coincidence that such an amazing year derailed around the time of the trade deadline. The elephant in the room cannot be ignored by G.M. Darryl Sutter and Coach Mike Keenan: when the year is done, keep Mike Cammalleri and unload Olli Jokinen. Cammalleri, a free agent whose breakout numbers this year will demand big bucks, is a better player and more valuable to this team. Letting Cammalleri go and keeping the underwhelming Jokinen would end up costing Sutter his job…..…the Tea Party phenomenon has become fascinating to some Canadians. Most Canucks are lackadaisical and reserved, never entertaining the thought of such a mass political grassroots movement……..given the growing unrest and associated drop in Obama’s approval rating, the Republicans should be searching hard for their ‘Next One’. Two-terms isn’t a given anymore for Barack……..I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that socialist strongholds like China had to tell the U.S. to stop its free-wheeling spending habits. That's one of those 'laugh nervously' moments........'Hannity' has become the best political show on television. Along with Bill O'Reilly, Greta van Susteren, and the new Glenn Beck show, Fox has a lineup that is like crack for the political junkie. Does anyone watch CNN anymore?........Two people who should have their own political shows: Ann Coulter and Penn Jillette........Canada needs its own national rightwing voice a la Beck, Hannity, or Limbaugh. Michael Coren is fantastic, but he's religated to a religious network........Billy Bob Thornton created waves with his recent interview on Canada's 'Q' radio show, acting belligerent and quite, well, assoholic. The buzz wasn't about how he acted, but by the millions who had to remind themselves who Billy Bob Thornton was........and finally, if oil and gas-rich Alberta ever did separate, would the United States risk its relationship with the rest of Canada by recognizing the independent nation?

Barack,

Its your friendly neighborhood Canadian average Joe here. I just thought I’d send you a little ‘how ya doing’ as you come up to your first 100 days in office.

How do I say this….some of us are getting a little worried, Mr. President. Some of your policies are so socialist in nature, we’ve caught ourselves more than once wondering if you are a Canadian at heart. No wonder that whole birth certificate thing won’t go away. You always did strike me as rather…Torontonian.

The exhibitionism that was your recent trip to Europe made for some interesting video clips. Your good friends up here north of the 49th parallel hadn’t seen so much ass kissing, self-depreciation, and downright whimpering acts of contriteness since Stephen Harper’s last attempt to court Quebec. (writer’s note: ‘since the spread-eagle the U.S. media did for Obama’ would have also been an acceptable metaphor.)

I don’t want to cause any hurt feelings between old friends here, but there are a few things you should understand. While Canada is perpetually spinning in the small ‘l’ nether regions, we do value our close ties with America. Sure, the Liberal government at the time didn’t join up for the Iraq mission, but Canadian soldiers have fought shoulder to shoulder with American forces in Afghanistan since Day One of the war against the Taliban.

The current Conservative government has held strong in our commitment to fighting the War on Terror. We felt the same sting as our American brothers on 9/11 and we have proven our worth as allies.

We are family.

The strength of the relationship between our two nations is not at issue here. But there are a few things. I’ll get right to it: we really don’t want your Gitmo refugees up here.

No offense, Barack, but we just don’t understand this move at all. Far be it from me, with your program of un-Bushing American foreign policy and all, but these guys weren’t picked up for shoplifting. They aren’t drunk drivers; they didn’t get arrested for break and enter.

The captives at Guantanamo Bay were taken from the battlefield in an active theatre of war. They are enemies, captured and held as threats to our safety. We’d prefer them to be behind bars instead of somewhere where they can build bombs or hijack airplanes.

I doubt that this will change your mind, so instead I’ll just have to speak on behalf of many of my countrymen when I say: forget any idea you may have about shipping that group of terrorists (aka: Obama’s Kids) up north.

If you want to set these vicious bastards loose in your own cities, that is your prerogative. From the outrage I’ve already heard from some of my American friends, I can only imagine the backlash you are about to experience, all in the name of keeping your word to a few far-left special interest groups.

I understand you are shopping Obama’s Kids around to see if there is any interest from other countries. Not bad, Barack – in the space of a few months you’ve become President, CEO of GM, and now you’ve assumed a role not unlike a General Manager of a sports team. Your own Team Obama, if you will.

Rumor has it, you offered to trade the entire squad to France in exchange for a couple of draft picks and a player to be named later. Make the deal, Barack.

And take solace in the knowledge that while Canada may turn its back on your ‘terrorists-formerly-known-as-Enemy-combatants’ refugees, we’ll still be the number one choice for American war deserters.

If you want to give something to Canada, how about some DVDs?

My support of Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives began early. As a kid of five or six years old, I had an inside ‘connection’ (thanks, Uncle Bill!) which led to a tour of the Legislature building, the highlight being the chance to sit in Peter Lougheed’s desk chair in the Premier’s Office.

I can still recall the feeling I had then, even at that young age. Lougheed was the first P.C. premier, and enjoyed strong popularity among Albertans during both the late-decade economic boom and subsequent federally-driven bust. He was our voice against Ottawa. In our house, there was no other choice.

As an adult, I have volunteered for the P.C. party in various capacities, nomination and general election campaigns as everything from door-knocker to campaign manager, board of directors, outspoken pundit, etc. My first political mentor was Jim Dinning, the man who quite possibly saved the province from economic disaster in the early 1990’s with his courageous and controversial policy of cutting and rebalancing. His strong fiscal conservatism weathered union backlash and some public outcry, but history has proven it to have been an astute, and ultimately correct, path to have chosen.

I was vocal in my support during the Klein years, and was one of the strongest in favor of Dinning’s cuts in the 1990’s. I stood with my party in the midst of the turmoil, and shared the belief that we were right.

When the party stabbed Ralph Klein in the back and made him walk the plank, my questioning of the party became real. The nefarious method used to out one of the most popular premiers of all time was something that would be expected from a Liberal party, not my P.C.’s.

The internal hack-job done on Jim Dinning during the leadership race to replace King Ralph revealed an ugly side of the Party. They were all about attacking public image with misinformation and outright lies.

But this isn’t the government of Jim Dinning anymore. This is the Progressive Conservative party of Ed Stelmach.

Ever since their landslide victory in one of the lowest-turnout elections in Alberta history, Stelmach and his government has made P.R. gaffe after blooper, stumble after mistake.

Before the bottom fell out of the economy and the price of oil was in the stratosphere, the P.C. government opened the public purse to a degree that made the socialist New Democrats blush with envy. Warnings came in from all sides, and even the staunchest P.C. supporter began to wonder where the fiscal responsibility had gone.

Now we find ourselves in another economic flat-line, and the similarities to 1989 are scary. Back then, Alberta was enduring a bad economic stretch. Then-Premier Don Getty’s government continued to spend money at the rate it did when the province was enjoying the boom, and while it didn’t cost the party the election, it did cost Getty his seat in a humiliating defeat in his own riding.

Any ‘free ride’ time Stelmach had with the public is long gone. Confidence is beginning to resemble Jell-O, as the voices questioning the ability of the Premier to deal with the current economic slump get louder and louder. Right about now, the last thing anyone questioning their support of the Progressive Conservative party would need would be a nuclear bomb of a reason to reconsider.

Right on cue comes Finance Minister Iris Evans. As I read in the Edmonton Sun, the woman in charge of our provincial purse strings took a shot across the bow of public confidence by suggesting that more taxes are possible. A government afflicted with an addiction to spending money is sounding the alarm that they may soak us for even more bucks.

The bad economy, you know. Low oil price.

Then Evans made what could be regarded in the future as The Exact Moment Her Career Died when she did not rule out the idea of a provincial sales tax.

For the uninitiated in the Alberta culture, let me explain: we are the only province that does not have a sales tax. The very idea is so poisonous, so distasteful, so completely unacceptable under any circumstances, it has been responsible for the deaths of an astronomical number of political dreams.

Simply put: we will not have it.

Stelmach did some quick damage control, saying that the recent so-called ‘sin tax’ increase was a difficult enough decision. The government spin doctors then reminded us that any move towards a provincial tax would have to be decided through a referendum. Issue defused? Not a chance. Not for me.

Any and all semblance of fiscal responsibility has been removed from the Stelmach P.C.’s. socialist-style bailouts, spending-crazy MLAs, talk of tax increases, new taxes, and a provincial sales tax…

If we wanted a Liberal government, Eddie, we would have voted for one.

My faith in the Alberta P.C. party under the current administration is now gone and with it any desire to publicly support their big spending policies which I believe go against our best interests, as well as the Alberta culture.

And so, after much thought and hours of conversation with trusted politicos, I have decided to support the ‘small-c’ Wildrose Alliance Party. I do this with the expectation that their policy will be one of fiscal restraint to ensure the prosperity and success of Alberta both now and for the future.

As much as I consider myself an avid reader of political works, it is a rare joy when I find myself helplessly submerged in the subject matter, unable to break the urge to continue on to the next page or chapter.

In fact it’s only happened a handful of times, the most recent being the insightful and intensely personal – and thoroughly enjoyable - The Reagan Diaries.

That feeling returned with a vengeance after jumping head-first into the latest work from Canadian publisher and public figure Ezra Levant: Shakedown: How Our Government Is Undermining Democracy In The Name Of Human Rights (McClelland & Stewart, ISBN: 978-0-7710-4618-6 (0-7710-4618-9).

In Shakedown, Levant goes into disturbing detail about his 900 day battle with the Alberta Human Rights Commission over his decision to print those dastardly infamous Muslim-themed Danish political cartoons in his Western Standard magazine.



In what is believed to be the one and only legal case brought forward involving the cartoons which made headlines and caused outrage by Muslim groups around the world, an ‘offended’ Canadian citizen lodged a complaint with the HRC (after unsuccessfully trying to convince the local police to arrest him! I’ll wait while you convince yourself that you read that correctly.), and Levant was charged with …drum roll, please....discrimination!

(Hmmm....I've posted the same cartoons several times with no HRC charges. I wonder if I should feel jealous?)

I won’t give all the secrets away, or ugly truths for that matter. Suffice it to say, the long and tedious experience propelled Levant to not only write about his own incident but to investigate others as well. What he found and shares with us is a proverbial goldmine of head-shaking decisions which goes beyond eye-opening, passes right through the area of ridiculous, and lands smack-dab in the center of frightening.

The fact that this particular farce occurred right in my home province of Alberta – a place which prides itself on freedom and personal liberty unlike the more socialist areas of the country – only added to the bitter taste in my mouth.

Levant reveals a seemingly-endless line of evidence that the HRC process is nothing more than a kangaroo court; a self-indulgent vehicle for the far-left to use in a perpetual attack on free speech in Canada. While special interest groups are nothing new to Canada, it is the so-called courts themselves and the people who run them that cause the shivers.

When the decisions of the HRCs can supersede those contained within our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the very foundation of our country begins to soften.

While Shakedown is most certainly a cautionary tale that will educate unsuspecting Canadians of the ever-present threat to their freedom of speech, it should be required reading for Americans who see their liberty and freedom under attack from the forces of political-correctness, and to an increasing degree, the current Obama administration and their policy of appeasement.

For an informative and enlightening sneak-peak, check out the Video of the Month featuring an interview with Ezra Levant on The Michael Coren Show located the right side of the page (5 parts).

Not again. The last time this happened I was doing a little renovation work in my bathroom, slipped, and found myself in Massachusetts engaged in a conversation with a dead president. Although I had long chalked up the incident to a dream (or more likely a concussion), it is still clear as day in my mind.

Now, as I concede to the effects of the anesthesia, I find myself once again sitting next to a past American president. Given that this time the figure happens to be Ronald Reagan, I enter into this experience with a certain sense of anticipation.

RR: Hello my friend. I’m glad you could join me today.
MS: Mr. President! It is an honor, sir!
RR: Please, call me Ron. Care for something?
MS: No sir, I’m fine. What brings you here?
RR: Actually, you came to me. I’m glad, since I’d like to find out how things are back home.
MS: Sure. First, the wars.
RR: The Soviets are back?
MS: No, sir…well, kind of, but…
RR: Then who?
MS: You know of the 9/11 attacks…
RR: Of course.
MS: …and that America sent troops into Afghanistan and Iraq…
RR: Yes. How is that going? Have we won yet?
MS: Well, sir, we are winning in Iraq. Not that the American people would know that, given the lack of media coverage.
RR: Same old media, I see. America starts winning and they clam up.
MS: Yes sir. As far as Afghanistan, the American and Allied forces have been engaged in some tough slugging, but we are hopeful.
RR: Excellent news! The president is putting that effort at the forefront, I assume.
MS: Well, President Obama – the first Black president, by the way - has announced an increase in forces, but it’s less than what military experts say is needed.
RR: I know Afghanistan well. The Soviets were in tough back in the day.
MS: Yes, and with the enemy being religious zealots, it isn’t any easier for us now.
RR: As I said to The Duke the other day, Americans always rise up to a challenge, but it will ultimately be up to the Afghani people to determine their own destiny, just like the Eastern Europeans trapped behind the Iron Curtain did.
MS: That’s my thinking. Switching to the economy…
RR: I assume that after I left things continued to be stable for America.
MS: Actually, Mr. Pres..um, Ron, we are in the middle of some real trouble right now.
RR: Really? What’s going on?
MS: There is a global recession going on. Unemployment is skyrocketing, businesses are suffering, the dollar is treading water, there’s talk of a global currency….
RR: Good Lord! Tell me Obama is a Republican.
MS: No, sir. A Democrat. A leftwing Democrat, actually.
RR: (sighs) I warned them. Go on.
MS: President Obama came into office on the promise to fix the situation and save not only jobs, but the American way of life.
RR: Well, that’s good! Tell me, what steps has he taken? Cutting taxes, increasing trade, and cutting the fat, I assume.
MS: …um, not really. First, he pushed through a $700+ billion bailout package…
RR: That’s a good one. Very funny!
MS: It’s not a joke, Ron.
RR: What a horrible move. Tell me that there were checks and balances in place to make sure the money was used properly.
MS: Actually, the public went ballistic when it was revealed that one of the recipients, AIG, used the money for executive bonuses.
RR: Unbelievable. What did they think was going to happen?
MS: Then there’s the little matter of the automakers.
RR: I assume they are feeling the heat from the downturn.
MS: Yes, sir. GM and Chrysler had restructuring plans, and both were rejected by the President.
RR: …and so he instructed the CEO’s to come back with a better plan, yes?
MS: Sort of. He demanded that GM’s CEO be fired.
RR: So who’s running General Motors?
MS: The President.
RR: You have a horrible sense of humor.
MS: I wish it was a joke, sir.
RR: Are you telling me that the American government is now in the business of being in business?
MS: It looks that way.
RR: I don’t believe it. America is transforming into a socialist state.
MS: That’s the fear, Ron.
RR: I’m glad I didn’t live to see that.
MS: There is hope, however.
RR: The American people!
MS: Yes sir. A phenomenon is occurring. The economic situation and the subsequent bailouts, along with a wave of mistrust in the government, has spawned groups of Americans to hold Tea Parties across the land.
RR: I’m not surprised. If there is one lasting, unbreakable strength, it is the spirit of the American people. You must be proud!
MS: Absolutely! Of course, I’m a Canadian….
RR: So you know all about the dangers of socialism, then.
MS: All too well, Ron.
RR: Have you attempted to warn your American friends?
MS: I try, Ron. I try. But, as you often said, sometimes I feel that I am speaking to ears that won’t listen.

There’s something to be said for term limits. History has shown repeatedly that when a political force holds power for too long, it inevitably goes through detrimental phases.

The ‘newness’ of leadership and ideas give way to redundancy, which then grows into stagnation and, if left unchecked, actually transforms into a political cancer in which those who have held on to the reigns of power can become an actual danger to the very people they were elected to represent.

As personally difficult as it is for me to say, I believe we are seeing this very phenomenon in the province of Alberta.

The governing Progressive Conservative party has been in power since 1971 and has cycled through four different leaders (who by default were our Premiers) with four alleged ‘visions’ for the province.

They swept into power with the dynamic Peter Lougheed at the helm, full of new ideas and a true mix of fresh, progressive conservative policies which made the previous long-standing Social Credit government look antiquated at best. A traditional rightwing government was replaced by a small-c group which reflected, and to a large part solidified, the uniqueness and attitude of Alberta.

Now some 38 years later, and after experiencing the highs (Premier Ralph Klein in the 1990s) and the lows (can you say Don Getty?), we find ourselves in the Ed Stelmach era.

Last year, in his first election after taking over the party, the PCs ran away with a massive victory. While surely impressive, it wasn’t lost on pundits that it was really a one-horse race. The leftwing Liberal party haven’t had a chance at victory since our grandfather’s were children, the New Democrat’s base is limited to a few individual streets in the major cities, and the paint wasn’t even dry on the upstart right-of-center Wildrose Alliance Party.

While that may change in the future, the real danger to the ruling PCs is coming from within. Lackadaisical attitudes have seemingly become common, and it isn’t rare to hear of an MLA making the kind of error which is born from complacency.

The usual response is to chalk it up to circumstance and continue on with the ‘well, who else is there to vote for?’ mentality. Albertans are staunch middle-right voters, and it would take something just short of nuclear for the province to swing anywhere near the political left.

But what we are seeing now is troubling, even for a life-long Progressive Conservative supporter such as myself.

There is now a list of damaging errors coming from the ruling party. Their royalty scheme that they slapped on the oil industry last year was a bad idea from the start, and couldn’t have come at a worse time. Even before the economy (and the price of oil) tanked, businesses were re-evaluating their plans in the province. Some had already scrapped their Alberta projects in favor of settling in our neighbour province of Saskatchewan and their new, small ‘c’ Saskatchewan Party government.

Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall should be sending Stelmach a Christmas card every year for sure.

Effectively, the Alberta government shot itself in the foot on that policy, and they didn’t stop there.

The so-called ‘Alberta Advantage’ tagline was dropped by the government, and it isn’t too difficult to see why. One of the ‘advantages’ is our Natural Gas rebate program, which is rare in that it directly benefits those in the province who need it the most. The Stelmach government, in another sign of bumbling and fumbling, killed that policy just in time for those who could really use it. Advantage: zero.

Time and space doesn’t permit me from going into detail on every single recent screw-up and example of the Alberta government taking its people for granted, but the latest is perhaps the greatest.

Last summer, it was revealed that some 500 ducks were found dead at a Syncrude-operated tailing pond in the Alberta oilsands. The usual outrage from the enviroNazis ensued, and while it was a blemish, it was just more fodder for the oilsands Scare Coalition of granola eaters.

Now, as reported by the Edmonton Sun’s Kerry Diotte, that number wasn’t 500 at all, but in excess of 1600. A sad occurrence, to be sure. But that’s not my issue.

The revelation that the government knew the truth last summer is the point. They out and out lied to the Alberta people. They knew the truth, but hid behind their favorite mantra, crying that they ‘couldn’t speak on the issue while it was in the courts’. Bullcrap.

I really don’t care about the issue, as I always have been a strong supporter of the Alberta oilsands industry. Dead ducks is unfortunate and processes should be in place to prevent such an incident from occurring again, of course.

But my party – my government – lied to me. The party I have supported since becoming politically aware has destroyed my trust in them. I find myself as many Albertans do today, wondering if the next sound bite or government statement is the truth or another ‘its in the courts’ untruth.


Former Alberta Treasurer
Jim Dinning

I can only wonder if things would have been different if Jim Dinning, in my experience a man of integrity, had won the party leadership race. I doubt that he would have let such contempt for the voters, or for that matter, lies, prevail from his front bench.

Now in what was once unthinkable, I find myself searching for a different party to devote my time and efforts, and indeed my vote. My criteria isn’t complicated: Good, sound fiscal conservative policy, an ‘Alberta first’ mindset, belief in small government. Not lying to the voters would be a plus as well.

I wonder if the Wildrose Alliance has spoken to Jim Dinning yet.