Premier Danielle Smith is absolutely right to defend the process of a citizen's petition against an unelected and undemocratic (Eastern Canadian) appointed judge. Ironically, this is part of the problem that the independence movement repeatedly calls out.
Seven hundred thousand Albertans signed two separate citizens' petitions that ask essentially the same question, and both want the Alberta government to invoke a referendum on the subject: Should Alberta remain in Canada or should Alberta leave Canada?
Both the Forever Canada petition and the Stay Free Alberta petition are different sides of the same coin. It is obvious that Albertans want to get to answer the question, and an unelected judge should not get to stop any citizen's petition. It is undemocratic. Canada claims to still be a democracy. Democracy is sometimes messy. But stopping a democratic process is in itself undemocratic, and that is a concept some Albertans have lost.
You might not agree with the objectives of the independence movement, but not allowing the question to even be asked means you don't believe in Canada either. I believe in democracy, not dictatorships. Let's ask Albertans the question in a referendum, let them answer, and then we can move forward. That is the Canadian way.
Mark van Berkel, Edmonton
Why do most Albertans support UCP?
Daily in this newspaper I read letters from disgruntled Albertans, frustrated and concerned with the antics of Danielle Smith and her UCP government. And then I see recent polls that estimate that if an election were held at this moment, the UCP would win with a 52-53-per-cent majority! Why?
Is it simply because people can't stomach the idea of the NDP or Nenshi — but you are OK with a government that disregards the law, continually gaslights us and spends your money on a multitude of wasteful projects and plans, too numerous to list here? It's mind-boggling to say the least.
I.C. Eves, Sherwood Park
More on watersheds; less Michael Janz
It was good to see Corb Lund on the front page today. It would have been even better if you had done a little research and written a bit about how important this petition is for protecting Alberta's watersheds. Unfortunately, instead of covering this critical issue, you wasted space on Michael Janz's PR stunt. (By the way, I am forever Canadian).
Diane Dennis, Edmonton
UCP bike-lane oversight welcome
Thankfully, the province will now step in to handcuff the city on its spending decisions. We will be getting a new bill this fall to control the building of bike lanes and the never-spoken cost of clearing and maintaining these lanes used by a small fraction of vocal Edmontonians.
Mr. Devin Dreeshen, please don't restrict the handcuffs to bike lanes. Include all woke spending and vanity projects. The city is a creature of the province and must be managed when things get out of hand.
