Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Ed Stelmach Slaps the Face of Democracy

How's this for democracy?  Everyone assumed Premier Ed Stelmach would announce that Senate Elections would be held along with the municipal elections this fall. Our current senators-in-waiting term is coming due at the end of the year. Parties were gearing up to nominate their candidates. Well he's put the kibosh on that!  He's putting the senate elections off in Alberta and has chosen instead to extend our current senators-in-waiting's terms for another 3yrs.
So how did Alberta welcome this affirmation of its 25 years of work on the file? By refusing to hold new Senate elections and using a cabinet decree to extend the terms of its existing senators-in-waiting by three years.
In announcing that he would keep Alberta's three current senators-in-waiting in "office" until 2013, after their terms run out this coming December, Premier Ed Stelmach insisted his move "reaffirms the democratic will of Albertans who voted for them."
Yet is has been six years since Alberta voters identified the three current senators-to-be: Tories Betty Unger and Cliff Breitkreuz and Independent Link Byfield.
The only sure way to gauge voter's democratic will would be to ask them to express it again. But not only will Alberta's ruling Tories not go back to voters in a new Senate election, they didn't even have the courage to ask the provincial legislature -- in which they have an unassailable majority -- to back the term extensions.
"Our province has shown leadership in holding Senate elections and continually advocated that the will of the people must be reflected in the Senate," Premier Stelmach added, then without reference to those same people or even to their elected representatives, he merely declared Ms. Unger and Messrs. Breitkreuz and Byfield reaffirmed for an additional half term. Lorne Gunter
Senator-in-waiting, Link Byfield is none too happy about it. Thinks Ed has done this because he's afraid that Eddie's candidates would lose. 
“I think it’s a very bad idea,” said Byfield, calling it undemocratic for the premier to make such a move, especially since previous terms have always been six years.
“If you start playing too many games with that, you discredit the whole process and of course the process is challenged enough as to its credibility without them further straining it,” Byfield said.
Byfield is a founding member of the Wildrose Alliance, which has surged in public opinion polls in the last year, but he insists his criticism has no political angle.
“I’m speaking as a senator-elect on this. Even if I thought the Wildrose Alliance would actually lose these elections … I would say it anyway. Six years are up, let’s go to the polls,” he said.
Byfield thinks the government is afraid that Progressive Conservative candidates would lose if an election was held along with municipal elections in October
Just when the federal goverment  is urging provinces to elect their senators, this happens.  Not very encouraging to the other provinces that's for sure. We were the leaders in senate elections now Ed Stelmach has set Senate reform back.   I happen to agree with Link Byfield in that Ed is probably afraid his candidates would lose, so what! And yes, I agree "let's go to the polls."

Gee, thanks a lot Premier!   I'm sure the Prime Minister is just thrilled too!  Not! (sarc)
Premier where are your principals, hold those elections, I want to choose!

10 comments:

  1. This is outrageous, and totally unacceptable. Ed compounds his gaffe by insulting our intelligence, with his ridiculous spin--"reaffirms the democratic will".

    Meanwhile, where is Ted Morton on this ? Surely, as a previous Senator-elect, Ted can't be too pleased with Ed's stunt. Ted MUST know that the CPC base is going to be hugely upset as well.

    One way or another, either at the hands of the voters, or his caucus, Ed is toast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Special Ed is a socialist. Socialists don't believe in elections.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Meanwhile, where is Ted Morton on this

    Exactly. I would like to hear his take. Then again Eddy doesn't like it when anyone in his caucus doesn't quite see things his way. Remember Guy Boutlier?

    ReplyDelete
  4. yep.. I believe Stelmach is the most abysmal Premier that Alberta has ever had to endure. Yes, even Getty. But do ya think he'll really pay come next election? (He lost my vote in the Royalty review that cost me my oilfield job).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Steady Eddy is on his way out along with his party. Ed seems to have forgotten that Alberta is small c-conservative. They will abide a drift to socialist welfare and big government thievery for only so long and then the "there's no free lunch" hormone kicks in and the "government is God" crowd gets kicked out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm pretty disgusted. We had something to be proud of, something for other provinces to aspire to. I know its only postponed, but that seat doesn't belong to the Premier, the party or even the government of Alberta.

    ReplyDelete
  7. But do ya think he'll really pay come next election? (He lost my vote in the Royalty review that cost me my oilfield job)

    Sorry to hear about your job loss, Anony. He's lost my vote too. I sure hope he'll pay come next election. Too make sure, we need to go out there and do everything we can to make sure the Wildrose Alliance and Danielle Smith become the next government.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Alex@5:39
    You know, I'm pretty disgusted myself. We were leaders in that area and I think more provinces would have come on board. Now, I don't know so much.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, Frmgrl... I have a new job and I'm doing OK. And I agree- Go, Danielle Smith!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous said...

    Thanks, Frmgrl... I have a new job and I'm doing OK. And I agree- Go, Danielle Smith!!!!

    Great to hear you got a new job! Way to go and good luck! Yes, Go Danielle!

    ReplyDelete

This is my home. I hope you respect it. I will not tolerate profanity or anything that is not suitable for family consumption.