ALBERTA NEXT PANEL IS PROPAGANDA

And a Con Job. Not a Consultation.

Here is a burning question for all civic-minded Albertans out there.

When the Smith Regime engages in a “public consultation," are we being asked? Or are we being told? Have the policy decisions already been made before the consultation starts?

Look at the structure of the Alberta Next Panel Townhalls. Biased propaganda videos, a preconceived set of options in a push survey, all focused on the Premier's favourite grievance topics, not the real issues of concern to the public.

Then we have handpicked panel members, all with worldviews more or less aligned with the Premier’s political agenda. Add in the highly controlled and orchestrated public participation access, with strict limitations on public input. There are only 15 minutes for discussion on each topic. Any participant fortunate enough to ask a question has 45 seconds to frame it, with no obligation from the Panel to provide a response, never mind getting a direct answer.

There is no commitment to release the survey results. In fact, it took almost two years and written insistence from the Freedom of Information Commissioner for Smith to publicly release the Alberta Pension Plan survey results.

There are a lot of signals that the final Panel report is already written and the conclusions are already drawn. The town halls are merely political theatre used for a fake and phony validation of a foregone partisan political conclusion.

So I ask you once again. When the Smith Regime embarks on a “public consultation,” do you believe you are truly being asked for your opinion? Or are you being set up to be told what you are supposed to think?

Anyone with a modicum of critical thinking skills knows the Smith Regime is manipulating processes to manufacture consent around her previously decided outcomes that she can then prescribe.

I predict there will be at least two, perhaps three referendum questions put during the next election. The obvious ones will be about support for a Provincial Police Force to replace the RCMP and an Alberta Pension Plan to replace the CPP.

The third referendum question may well be about Alberta staying in or getting out of Canada. That referendum question has yet to be decided. Will Forever Canadian get the 300,000 petition signatures before October 28th? If so, will Premier Smith deny or deploy the Forever Canadian question to a referendum vote?

In any event the next two years promise to be interesting.

Don’t be duped. Show Up! Stand Up! Speak Up! Act Up!