Remind UCP MLAs of Their Federalist Policy
Soon after the president of the UCP told the media a majority of his members would vote to leave Canada and that his party would not pick a side on that referendum question this fall, the premier went on radio to correct him. She said the official position of the UCP is to stay part of Canada and that has always been the party's position.
If the president did not know his party stood for remaining in Canada, there is a good chance others within his party need to be informed as well. Can someone please pop a quick note to the 87 UCP constituency associations to remind them of their longstanding official policy to remain part of Canada? Perhaps the first note could be sent to Mitch Sylvestre, who heads up the UCP constituency association for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul.
Scott Watson, Edmonton
Desperately Seeking Ridings Committee Chair
About every 10 years, the Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) redraws the map to account for changes in Alberta's population. The EBC is independent and works to avoid one party manipulating election outcomes. Over the past year, the EBC held public hearings and researched needed changes. For the first time in Alberta's history, the government rejected the EBC's map. Instead, the UCP decided to set up a new committee, controlled by UCP MLAs, to give them the map they want.
Trouble is, the UCP cannot seem to find anyone to chair their new committee. The UCP wants someone of stature to add credibility to the process. The UCP asked the acting chief justice for suggestions, but she declined to get involved given all the irregularities in the process. The Canadian Bar Association and Law Society were asked for help, but they too declined.
The UCP is now looking for some unwitting university president to act as chair. It is hard to believe the head of any post-secondary institution in Alberta would take this on. They would need to overlook all the irregularities and risk tarnishing their reputation and that of their school. After all, are not ethics, fairness and truth the most basic of principles for any institution of higher learning?
Scott Watson, Edmonton
Do Not Trust Unverified Separatist Petition
Premier Danielle Smith repeatedly says that separatist organizers gathered 300,000 signatures on a separation petition, implying enough were valid signatures. There has been no verification of the validity of these signatures. Premier Smith says she will take the word of the separatists on good faith.
Albertans, and especially Premier Smith, should not rely on the petition of the separatists to call for a referendum when not one signature has been verified and when they accessed illegally circulated personal electoral data. The personal data of millions of Albertans was in the separatists' hands. Was my name illegally added to their petition because of the data breach? If it was, Premier Smith seems to find that OK, and is blindly forging ahead with a separation referendum question.
Peter Lee, Edmonton
Guilbeault Not to Blame for Separatists
With great sadness, I read Don Braid's recent piece referring to Steven Guilbeault as the architect of Alberta separation. That is absurd. Danielle Smith is the sole architect of Alberta separation, who began her campaign for power by ousting Jason Kenney to kowtow to the separatists by giving them every possible opportunity to bring their goals to a referendum. If that fails, it is anyone's guess what she will do next to ensure they gain the power they are seeking.
