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| Archived Opinions/Editorials - 2005 |
Letter to the Editor - Calgary Herald - Published in the July 25, 2005 edition in edited form Re: Feds 'snub' Alberta in oilsands tour Our Alberta government was upset by a recent Liberal snub, when the feds toured a US government official through our Athabasca oilsands and no Alberta government official was invited along. Albertans should be even more upset with our Klein government - they have allowed the feds to confiscate our natural resource rights by stealth, rights that were won by Alberta in 1930. For years, transfer payments from Alberta to the rest of Canada have exceeded the crown royalties that Alberta collects from its production of oil and gas. Crown royalties are the economic rent that the people of Alberta receive when their oil and gas is extracted. Our oil and gas resource is a depleting asset - once produced, it is gone forever. Through transfer payments, the feds have effectively confiscated our natural resource royalties to buy votes in the welfare provinces. Maybe the Liberal snub was just a reflection of reality - that Alberta no longer owns its oil and gas rights. Thanks Ralph, for being asleep at the switch. Allan M.R. MacRae |
Why Alberta is different - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Roger Gibbins' article in the National Post starts with the statement "Alberta is somewhat of a puzzle for most Canadians." Dr. Gibbins is President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation. This article is part of an essay that appeared in the May 2005 issue of the Literary Review of Canada. Dr. Gibbins supports leading the country by example rather than complaining without taking action. See related news item. |
Senators ordered back to Ottawa - Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Senate government leader Jack Austin told Senators to return to work and expect to stay until July 21, 2005. Senators expected to have a six-month debate on the current issues, including the Civil Marriage Act and a $4.6 billion amendment to the budget. Instead, Senators are expected to reach decisions and pass all bills for royal assent as the bills stand. Canadians are sending hundreds of emails to Senators, most opposing the "same-sex marriage" changes. Senators have raised concerns about the two-page legislation on budget amendments. The pages indicate spending priorities, not financial distribution. Senators are concerned about setting a "dangerous precedent" by passing this bill. Albertans should remain both cautious and involved in this process. Ottawa has not demonstrated a significant interest in the best interests of Alberta. Passing a bill that outlines priorities without stating responsibilities could have serious and negative impact on every Albertan. See related news item. |
Time for Alberta to exit, stage right? - Saturday, July 9, 2005 Link Byfield's column in the Calgary Sun is a hot topic for many Albertans, including bloggers. Professor emeritus of political science at U of A, Leon Craig, has an article he wants published. According to Byfield, Craig says Alberta "should go it alone" to "create a country that reflects our own political and social beliefs, values and traditions, and our understanding of the common good." The fact that Alberta has the economic means to become a separate nation is not and should not be the driving force for separation. Having the economic means to exist as a separate nation is critical for survival, not for the basis of leaving. There is no point in leaving a bad situation to enter another bad situation. The point of separation is to rescue the culture that exists in Alberta, a culture that is ignored or vilified by Ottawa as the mandarins see fit. The Separation Party of Alberta knows the future of Alberta depends on maintaining Alberta's economy by diversifying industries, not on maintaining Alberta's subservient position to Ottawa. See related news item. |
Press Release: IMMORAL - CORRUPT - NO COMMITMENT - Tuesday, May 17, 2005 at 21:20 R. B. (Bruce) Hutton Red Deer, AB: May 17, 2005, "It appears to me that we don't have a dedicated politician at the federal level in the whole country," lamented Bruce Hutton, Leader of the Separation Party of Alberta (SPA). "They are self serving and quite frankly concerned only with their own paycheque and their own well-being; they don't give a damn about the country." Hutton was commenting on the latest political debacle with Belinda "my Dad's a defeated Liberal" Stronach, crossing the floor to the Liberals and immediately receiving a Cabinet post. It seems politicians in this country, at all levels, have no conviction and no intestinal fortitude. Ralph Klein was a Liberal; Nancy Betkowski was a Conservative; Scott Brison was a Conservative; David Kilgore was a Conservative, a Liberal and an Independent who supports Liberal corruption. "The "Belinda Bounce" should prove to Albertans, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Federal politics in this country is corrupt and will never be fixed given the requirements for Constitutional amendment," stated Hutton. "There is no hope for Alberta's future inside this corrupt system. From a Canadian's point of view it is sad. From an Alberta Separatist point of view it is one more nail in the Confederation coffin." Separation Alberta Box 31074 Edmonton, AB T5Z 3P3 Ph: (780) 457-8006 www.separationalberta.com -30- |
ONTARIO AND OTTAWA JUST DON'T GET IT - Monday, May 2, 2005 at 22:14 April 29, 2005 - Editorial Comment by R. B. (Bruce) Hutton Edmonton - Federal Liberal Revenue Minister John McCallum and Ontario Liberal Premier Dalton MCGuinty are fighting over Ontario's net cost to be Canadian. McGuinty is angry, feels that Ontario is discriminated against and insists the net figure of 23 billion dollars is excessive. He wants a 5 billion dollar refund for Ontario from Ottawa. "We are proud of the role that we have traditionally played as the economic engine of Canada," he told reporters in Mississauga. "But that engine is misfiring a little bit right now. We think it important to retain a bit more wealth, so we can generate still more prosperity for all Canadians." McCallum, on the other hand, thinks McGuinty's campaign for "fairness" will "gut" the federal government. At a recent meeting of the Ontario Board of Trade he said, "The separatists and their cousins, the provincial extremists, by which I mean the Conservative Party, will exploit any perceived unfairness to Ontario in order to obtain their one shared objective: the gutting of the federal government. They would transfer to the provinces just about everything except defence, the post office and monetary policy." Bruce Hutton, leader of the Separation Party of Alberta, thinks it is truly unfortunate neither of these supposed leaders truly understand the real problem in Canada and are so self-serving and narrow-minded. "McGuinty's statements are at least honest," stated Hutton. "Ontario has always been and, if they have their way, always will be the "engine of the Canadian economy" but that is no longer acceptable to the west. Ontario has all the end-use manufacturing and the west continues to be "hewers of wood and packers of water" for central Canada. We supply the raw materials for Ontario's industries and the money for Ottawa to keep Quebec happy. Albertans are starting to realize this is no longer acceptable." "Look at the facts," continued Hutton. "If anyone should be screaming for a refund it should be Alberta. Ontario has 40 percent of the Canadian population and Alberta has only 10 percent. McGuinty is mad about 23 billion but during that same time-frame Alberta paid over 11 billion net to Ottawa. Do the math. One quarter the population of Ontario but Albertans pay nearly one half of Ontario's contribution to Ottawa with no return on investment, no end-use manufacturing and certainly no diversified economy. Our economic engine is oil and gas - nothing else. When it is gone or obsolete Alberta won't have to worry about "misfiring a little bit"! We won't have an economic engine. And make no mistake. When McGuity says "prosperity for all Canadians", he really means all Canadians living in Ontario." But Hutton does agree with Revenue Minister McCallum. "The sooner we gut the federal government the better," acknowledges Hutton. "Their infringement on provincial jurisdiction borders on insanity, especially given the fact that all Canadian provinces except Quebec allow it to happen. The federal bureaucracy is out of control and their spending is even worse. Now we can add flagrant criminal activity at the highest federal government levels to their list of accomplishments. The sooner the provinces take over their constitutional authorities the happier I will be. When I was younger I was optimistic. Now I am older and wiser and I know real change will never happen. Separation is the only viable alternative for Alberta." Separation Party of Alberta Separationalberta.com -30- |
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