In the last three months Albertans have witnessed a shocking display of raw power. The Redford government calls it “delivering the responsible change Albertans voted for.” The rest of us call it the abuse of majority power to crush the rights of environmentalists, land owners and labour unions. Black November
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Susan on the Soapbox: Forget “Angry Birds” Where are the Angry Canadians?
Saturday’s headline in Canada’s “newspaper of record”, The Globe and Mail, was not “Harper government caught spying on Canadians” but “Rob Ford admits jaywalking ticket in Vancouver”. Are you kidding me??? Let’s review the week, shall we? Angry Birds It started with Edward Snowden revealing that American and British spy
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: 145 Children Die in Government Care; but 89 Don’t Count
“WHEREAS the Government of Alberta recognizes that children and youth are our greatest resource…blah blah blah”—Child and Youth Advocate Act One hundred and forty five children died in government care since 1999. The government reported 56 deaths. The rest sank below the radar because they were the result of
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Strike While the Iron is Hot: The Edmonton Remand Centre Labour Dispute
For years I’ve wondered whether unions had outlived their usefulness and were simply using their collective bargaining power to crank up wages and benefits at the expense of…well…who knows what. But the wildcat strike arising out of the Edmonton Remand Centre labour dispute proved me wrong. Edmonton Remand Centre The
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Face of Terrorism
I’ve been to Washington DC many times, but this trip was different. In addition to the usual buzz created by lobbyists, bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen who had places to go and people to see, there was a sense of unease. This feeling of foreboding was evident in the police cars
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: What Would It Take to Make you Plead Guilty? Alberta Revamps Traffic Court
What would it take to make you plead guilty to a crime you didn’t commit? One hundred dollars? One thousand dollars? Need more information? Okay, what if the crime isn’t serious? And if you plead guilty you can avoid the hassle of driving downtown, parking in an expensive lot, going
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The Price of Justice in Alberta: One Free Crime
On March 17, 2013, Alison Redford’s PC government broke the back of justice…and none of us saw it coming. Lady Justice, or Justitia, is the personification of the justice system. Her blindfold symbolizes objectivity, her scales symbolize the balance between truth and fairness and her double-edged sword demonstrates that reason
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