I see Paul Boothe from the U of A has weighed in on the runaway rhetoric of Boutilier and has added a dash of Dr. Morton to boot in his Edmonton Journal Op Ed opinion piece today.
It is good to see some good old fashioned free speech coupled with some facts, sound analysis and an authoritative opinion emerging from the halls of academe. We need more of those informed voices in the public conversations of the day. Thanks for doing this Paul.
I have one bone to pick with Paul in his piece though. He states: “It seems like the new Stelmach cabinet bent on picking a fight with the rest of Canada.” I think that is an over generalization. We have only two Ministers in that mode. True, Stelmach made a comment in his first news conference about the concept of the Quebec nation saying, to the effect; that it should not take anything away from other provinces. And why should it and why would it? That is the sum total of cabinet commentary and it doesn’t add up to the entire “new Stelmach cabinet.”
For years, I, like so many other Progressive conservatives, just sat back and let the far right have their say and never really responded. I believed they were so obvious in their marginal ideology that it was unnecessary to rebut debate or challenge them. As a result of such inaction the rhetoric of the far right has become the voice of Alberta to the rest of Canada in the "minds" of the CBC in particular.
The recent CBC radio show “The Current” that Boothe refers to regarding Dr. Morton’s comments is a good case in point. I have not heard it yet so I will not comment on the content. However seeing Dr. Morton being slated as a guest to be a voice for Alberta discussing our provincial role in confederation rankles me both as a Progressive conservative and as an Albertan.
He would not come even close to representing any dominant Alberta perspective on the topic. He is entitled to his POV and has a right to express it. I just wonder who else they had on that program would represent a more inclusive and integrated Alberta perspective within Canada. I will be checking the program archives to give it a listen and hope they had a Progressive perspective included as well.
My business partner, Satya Das, does a lot of CBC French radio and television commentary on Alberta events and perspectives. He recently wrote a book called “The Best Country – Why Canada Will Lead the Future” which is an Albertan speaking about what makes Canada great. {which you can buy at Tix on the Square in Edmonton now}
For regular readers of this Blog you will know we co-write a regular monthly column for the LaPresse newspaper in Montreal on Alberta issues and topics too. Das would have made an excellent Edmonton counterpoint to the Morton position for the Calgary-centric CBC show segment on The Current.
When I saw Dr. Morton as a panelist I contacted the Calgary and Toronto producers of The Current by email to offer Satya’s services to provide another perspective on the subject of Alberta's role in Canada. No reply at all. Proving to me once again that the central Canadian idea of what an Albertan is has been forfeited to the far right and fundamentalists diatribes.
That mistaken caricature of the character and consciousness of Alberta has to be rebutted. I am working on it, including through this Blog. I see Paul Boothe is obviously engaged and like minded. It is sure nice to have such informed and effective allies.
Ken -- thanks for this post. You raise an interesting question about whether these ministers' views are representative. However, as you know, our Westminster system of government is based on the principle of cabinet solidarity. When MLAs speak, they speak for themselves. When cabinet ministers speak, they speak for the government. Unless their remarks are repudiated by the Premier, these must be taken as the policy of the government. One can ask why the Minister of Sustainble Resource Depvelopment is speaking on behalf of the government on these issues, but that's a question for another day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for running this blog. I always enjoy reading it.
Thx for the Comment Paul - you are right about Minister's speaking for the government in the Westminster system.
ReplyDeleteThis speakng for the government is something that Guy knows well. His comments would have aligned with the spirit of Klein government's fed/prov and interprov relations.
We really don't know where the Stelmach government is yet on the Quebec nation issue yet. I expect clarity will wait for a federal election or any "progress" on equalization formula amendments.
I trust Stelmach be more engaging and less combative with Canada than Klein was. That said, less aggressvie does not mean less cautious.
For example, I was asked to arrange the meeting between Dion and Stelmach this past week. I noted with interest the Globe and Mail commented today that Stelmach's staff did not allow a picture of him and Dion to be taken. Afraid of shades of Trudeau and Lougheed with champaign flutes looking too "chummy" would be my guess.
As for Dr. Morton's comments on CBC Radio last week, he also knows better. He is a PhD Political Scientists. He is not used to being in government though and the restraints that puts on his freedom of speech, having to toe/tow the government policy line.
That is going to be his personal challenge and likely be his downfall as a Cabinet Minister. It will be hard for him not to expouse his personal agenda. He is not going to be very successful in advancing his social conservative agenda in Stelamch's Cabinet would be my guess.
We will have to stay tuned to see if Stelmach repudiates the Morton position directly or simply undermines it by stating his own government's position on Alberta's role in confederation.
On a peronal note Paul - glad you like the Blog and I hope you keep reading it. Let others know it is here.