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| Tories take it to the people but talk of... - Wednesday, February 11, 2004 at 10:15 |
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PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alberta Tory politicians hit the road yesterday to hear views on the province's place in Canada, but they say they don't want to hear any separatist talk. Chairman Ian McClelland made that clear as his nine-member task force - dubbed the "firewall committee" by opposition parties - made its first stop in Hinton, a Rocky Mountain milling and mining community 275 km west of Edmonton. "Separation is not on the table," said McClelland, a Conservative backbencher and former Edmonton Reform member of Parliament. "We don't want to give that any traction." McClelland does, however, expect to get an earful from the new Alberta Residents League. The league has embraced a plan put forward by federal Conservative Party leadership candidate Stephen Harper, political scientist Ted Morton and others to build what they call a firewall around the province. League founder Pat Beauchamp said representatives of his 2,000-member group will press for what he calls the Alberta Agenda. The agenda was initially set out in an open letter from six prominent Albertans to Premier Ralph Klein almost three years ago. It advocates the province set up its own pension plan, police force and tax collection. It also suggests Alberta opt out of the Canada Health Act. "Alberta is a major province and it's time we started acting like one," said Beauchamp. "There isn't anything Ottawa can do for us that we can't do better ourselves." Klein initially dismissed the firewall concept, prefacing his party's debates on the issue with speeches of building bridges rather than walls. But his government is reconsidering the idea in the face of growing separatist sentiment fuelled by the federal gun registry, the Kyoto accord and the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly. Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Calgary's Mount Royal College, said Klein is pandering to members of his caucus and party who believe the government should take a stronger stance against Ottawa's perceived intrusion into Alberta jurisdiction. The place to debate the issue is in the provincial legislature, Brownsey suggested, but noted that it sat for only 56 days last year. He said he doesn't expect the report McClelland's committee has been directed to deliver to the minister of international and intergovernmental affairs in June will go anywhere. "It's just political window-dressing. This will attract and shore up Conservative support in rural areas that have been unduly affected by drought, environmental issues and the latest problem with BSE." The committee is to visit 12 communities by March 4 and has invited submissions by mail and e-mail. Alberta opposition parties who weren't invited to join the committee, have criticized the $250,000 tour as a waste of taxpayer money. They question why the hearings are being held when the government didn't hold hearings on important issues such as electrical deregulation and auto insurance reforms. "We're just talking about photo-ops in rural areas," said Hugh MacDonald of the Liberals. "I don't think the typical Canadian who is proud to be a part of Canada will be part of this process," added New Democrat Brian Mason. Author and nationalist Mel Hurtig said he is getting tired of hearing residents from one of the wealthiest provinces in the country continually complaining. "As somebody who is born and raised in this province, it's unfortunate that we constantly hear from malcontents who appear to have little but greed as their major objective," said Hurtig. "I can guarantee the vast majority of Albertans aren't the slightest bit interested in any firewall concept." |