Hancock Steps Up to the Plate to Defer Bill 44 to Avoid Disaster for Teachers

Terrific developments on the Bill 44 fiasco. Looks like Minister Dave Hancock has asked Minister Lindsay Blackett to delay proclamation of the offensive sections that are part of the Alberta Human Rights Act. Hat tip to Chris Labossiere for bring this to my attention.

We need progressive voices in the PROGRESSIVE Conservative party to take back their place in the party. Progressive party members and MLAs need to promote socially progressive and fiscal conservative ideals that are at the heart of the party.

Failing to do this leaves the Alberta Progressive Conaservative Party vulnerable to the same fate as the federal PC party - takeover by the Reform/Alliance social conservatives.

This action by Hancock to delay proclamation is a practical reality to ensure that the efforts to make this "law" effective and enforceable. The language in the new act now is the usual wishy-washy weasel words used by politicians when they try to skirt around the hard job of trading off one competing principle for another.

It is this poor legislative drafting and fuzzy policy process that force judges to "make law" in their decisions. That is the job but the judiciary but they often have to exercise their power of interpretation because the politicians do a substandard job of drafting a clear law in the first place.

So good for Hancock. Here's to Blackett to do the right thing and leave this ill conceived laws in limbo and then to press for its repeal in the fall session.

Still Time to Send a Letter or an E-Mail to Your MLA & the Premier to Record Your Opposition to Bill 44

Here is an example of the kind of informed and engaged citizenship we need in Alberta. Sirthinks and I follow each other on Twitter. I am @KenChapman46 on Twitter if you want to follow me. @Sirthinks is also on Twitter. He and I were active in the tweetfest that happened during the Committee of the Whole debates on Bill 44 last week. It was a most amazing evening where the anti-Bill 44 online community came together and shared ideas, opinions and information about the Bill.

Third reading of this terrible law will happen early next week so it is not too late to register your displeasure with your MLA and copy the Premier too. Bill 44 looks like it will pass as amended but opposition is not futile, indifference is.

There is a legitimate expectation in a democracy that we can and should hold our politicians accountable. However, if we citizens do not take account of our our responsibilities to become informed and engaged, then the power shifts from the people to the political elites and democracy diminishes.

Early last week Minister Lindsay Blackett said he only received 300 letters on the issue of Bill 44. I take him at his word. If that is true, then we citizens who are too passive or indifferent to care about what kind of a society we are creating and allow a backward law like Bill 44 to proceed unopposed then we deserve the kind of government we will get from this lousy piece of law.

Thanks to Sirthinks and all the others who are making their opposition known to their democratically elected political representatives.