About 200 people attended a presentation on the Province’s controversial land use laws at the Crossfield Community Centre, Jan. 26.
Edmonton-area lawyer Keith Wilson presented his interpretation of the Electric Statutes Amendment Act, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act and the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, which he says make sweeping changes to property rights.
“I’ve heard (the bills) were bad news, but I didn’t know they were as bad as this,” said area farmer Ken Sackett. “I don’t think anyone realizes the power this gives (the Province). We have never had property rights, but this takes away even those we had.”
Wilson, who is speaking at a series of 25 events across Alberta, says bills 19, 36 and 50 trample Albertans’ rights.
He highlighted concerns about Bill 50, which removed the public hearing process from decisions about proposed power lines.
“It takes what was a regulatory system and makes it a political decision,” said Wilson. “No other jurisdiction has thought it was a good idea to move these (decisions) to a back cabinet room.”
Citing articles, studies, leaked documents and reading the law verbatim, Wilson said industry expects electricity costs to balloon and is already investigating mitigation measures, such as leaving the power grid by generating electricity or leaving Alberta for greener pastures.
“The primary losers are industries, commercials and residential consumers,” said Wilson. “(This is) unnecessarily mortgaging Alberta’s future.”
Wilson said the Land Stewardship Act, passed in late 2010, allows the government to take over land titles, water licenses and development permits, strips the right for compensation and removes the ability to challenge the decision in court, effectively taking the government to pre-Magna Carta days. He said the new law trumps existing laws and can override decisions made by local politicians.
“This is an unprecedented legal drafting giving the cabinet unprecedented powers,” said Wilson.
Several local dignitaries and community activists attended the event including Joe Anglin, a central Alberta politician who has spoken out about the proposed transmission lines; Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderso; Rocky View County Councillor Greg Boehlke; several Crossfield councillors and Crossfield Mayor Nathan Anderson.
MLA Anderson said he will soon be introducing a bill to repeal the Electrical Statues Act.
“I am already getting some arguments,” said Anderson.
“They (opponents) are saying there is going to be mass legal ramifications for repealing the law.”
Mayor Anderson said Crossfield’s council invited the speaker because industry in the town could be “crippled” with higher electricity costs.
“As a council, we felt it was important to bring this to the light,” he said. “This could be the needle that breaks (industry’s) back.”
Anderson encouraged people to sign a petition, contact their local MLAs and demand they repeal these laws.
“Exercise your common sense and talk to other people to get them to stop the madness,” said Anderson.
Crossfield Councillor Garry Richardson said he was disappointed MLA Ted Morton, the minister responsible for the Land Stewardship Act, didn’t attend the meeting.
“If I was Ted Morton and I believed in my legislation, I would be here to defend it,” he said. “Anyone that was thinking about voting for him (in the next election), tonight he lost that vote.”
