I attended the Property Rights Task Force meeting in Olds on Jan. 11 with more than 300 people. The laws that had previous opposition, and had since been defiantly passed, were now being discussed at this meeting. To what end?Bill 19 destroys the Expropriation Act, which ensures a citizen is treated fairly and made financially whole when their land is taken. It has the power to confiscate your land and freeze a person's land from 20 to 40 years with no compensation. Numerous citizens were furious at the government for legislating their rights away.Another brought up that Bill 36 completely removes a landowner's access to the courts for justice and opens the door to absolute government power and corruption. These laws are an unprecedented legislation in a western democracy. He said he would leave Alberta if these laws were not rescinded.A woman expressed great frustration and hopelessness. She stated that Bill 50 now had taken away any decision-making process from the public and any boards such as the Alberta Utilities Commission. It has instead gone into backrooms of cabinet. This has personally affected her. She had two large power line towers running through her quarter and she has just been told they were building a third one beside them. Their equipment does not fit between these towers and a third would greatly reduce their ability to farm the land. There was no commission to hear and act upon her complaints. No justice, just hopelessness.She said that Albertans would have to pay $16 billion for the new power lines to the U.S. and then they would be given to privately owned transmission companies. She had heard that our power rates would triple. She wanted to know why the government would give away the publicly funded assets of Albertans.There was also much discussion on Bill 24, which will cost another $2 billion for the Carbon Capture Program. Many people were very upset. This law eliminates expropriation and compensation and any court from interfering or demanding justice.For more information on these bills contact Alberta Landowners Council: [email protected]. The website is www.AlbertaLandownersCouncil.com.Susan BerdahlDrumheller
