It appears that Jack Hayden is not telling the truth about Bill 19. For example, in the Legislature on March 17 he said: “Advanced consultation will be mandatory.” That’s nice. But ERCB-style escape-hatch words make it OK not to consult.
Worse, the bill criminalizes questions asked by the public and property owners, and even criminalizes the property owner’s imagination if the minister thinks there might be some imagining going on.
What kind of consultation is that?
Hayden wrote in a letter to the editor that “government will pay landowners fair market value for their land” but “fair market value” isn’t in the bill. The “public interest” isn’t either. In fact, Bill 19 slickly obliterates the current requirement that a project must be in the public interest.
This means that the Minister can make up a project and give my property to EnCana to punish me for publicly speaking out about the failings of the government and EnCana.
What kind of fair market value is that?
Hayden’s bill apparently wipes out all protections (including environmental laws) property owners currently have with this dandy little clause: “Notwithstanding any other Act or Regulation.”
Under Bill 19, the Minister can order your property a nuclear waste dump. The bill makes it illegal for you and your community to protest or ask questions. The bill gives the Minister the power to fine you and throw you in jail if he thinks you are imagining something, like writing a letter to the editor, or hiring a lawyer.
Industry and government do not need this bill. The endless industrial impacts cumulatively bombarding Alberta prove how well the existing legislation is working.
Bills 18 and 19 are deadly together. Bill 18 ensures nothing interferes with the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). TILMA allows corporations to sue governments for enacting any regulation thought harmful to their profits.
Vote NO to Bills 18 and 19! Think! Were you elected by profit or the people?
“The oppressor consciousness tends to transform everything surrounding it into an object of its domination. The earth, property, production, the creations of people, peoples themselves, time – everything is reduced to the status of objects at its disposal.” — Paulo Freire
I will never forget, Mr. Hayden, oppressor of Albertans. Bill 19 is so evil the Devil burnt himself reading it.
Jessica Ernst
Rosebud